•  1 


r* 

*2W 


The   Parting  Visit. 

S-"  page  19. 


HETTY  POINTER; 


GOD     KNOWS      BEST 


FOUR     ILLUSTRATIONS. 


y 


ORK  : 


PUBLISHED  BY  GARLTON  &  PORTER, 

(SUNDAY-SCHOOL    UNION,    .'00    Jll'LBEKBY-STIlEET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867, 
BY   CARLTON   &    PORTER, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for 
the  Southern  District  of  New-York. 


YRi. 

P2 

If? 


CONTENTS. 


C1IAPTKR  PAOF 

I.  LEAVING  HOME 1 

II.  NEW  FACES  AND  NEW  SCENES 22 

III.  MRS.  ELLIS'S  STORY 34 

IV.  MAGGIE  GRAHAM 43 

V.  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  PROJECT 51 

VI.  THE  DISAPPOINTMENT 59 

VII.  WATTY  A  HELPER 63 

VIII.  THE  TRANSLATION 71 

IX.  JAMIE'S  PRAYER 81 

X.  DEATH 92 

XI.  LIFE  FROM  DEATH 104 

XII.  STRIVING  AFTER  GOOD 110 

XIII.  HOME  AGAIN 119 

XIV.  THE  VOICE  OF  CONSCIENCE 124 

XV.  THE  BONFIRE 129 

XVI.  THE  PRESENT 137 

XVII.  THE  ACCUSATION 142 

XVIII.  DEATH  OF  MR.  GRAHAM 154 

XIX.  CONCLUSION  . .  162 


THE  PARTING  VISIT '. . . .  2 

WATTY'S  TACTICS 66 

THE  PENITENT 101 

THE  BONFIRE  . .                  134 


SHLF 
YRL 


HETTY  PORTER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LEAVING    HOME. 

"  You  will  let  my  child  go  to  church  at  least 
once  every  Sabbath,  and  to  the  Sunday-school 
regularly ! " 

"  O  yes,  certainly,  Mrs.  Porter.  I  belong  to 
the  Church  myself,  and  of  course  am  very  par- 
ticular that  those  in  my  employ  should  attend 
service.  Give  yourself  no  uneasiness  on  that 
account.  As  far  as  the  moral  influence  of  my 
house  is  concerned,  I  may  say,  it  will  be  good. 
AS  regards  the  work,  as  I  said  before,  it  will  be 
very  light.  I  really  don't  need  another  servant. 
I  hire  one  only  to  please  my  housekeeper,  whose 
services  I  value  so  highly  as  to  be  willing  to  do 
almost  anything  to  keep  her  with  me." 

It  was  with  a  voice  in  which  a  tone  of  sad- 
ness was  very  perceptible,  though  she  tried  to 


.- 
8  HETTY   PORTER. 

smother  it  out,  that  Mrs.  Porter  said,  "  Well,  I 
will  talk  with  Hetty  about  it ;  and,  yes,  I  am 
quite  certain  that  she  will  be  willing  to  go  with 
you  when  you  start." 

"  "Which  will  be  to-morrow  in  the  eight  o'clock 
train.  I  will  have  the  carriage  driven  up  here ; 
and,  of  course,  after  what  has  been  said,  I  shall 
not  expect  your  daughter  will  disappoint  me ; " 
and  with  a  little  condescending  bow,  the  lady, 
Mrs.  Manson,  took  her  departure. 

It  was  a  rather  humble  room  in  which  this 
fragment  of  a  conversation  took  place,  yet  it  was 
a  very  pleasant  one,  with  its  scrupulous  neatness 
and  order.  The  front  door  stood  wide  open, 
admitting  the  warm  sunshine  of  an  afternoon 
in  the  early  spring.  A  neatly  swept  walk  led 
from  the  door  to  the  gate,  and  on  either  side  of 
it  were  long  flower  beds,  in  which  the  delicate 
plants,  their  winter  coverings  just  removed, 
were  beginning  to  show  themselves.  Beyond 
these,  and  in  a  row  along  the  white  fence,  were 
many  tall  trees  and  much  thick  shrubbery. 
Altogether  it  was  a  very  pretty  looking  place, 
and  one  would  imagine  that  the  inmates  of  the 
Ijttle  white  cottage  might  be  happy.  But 


HETTY    PORTER.  9 

there  was  a  skeleton  of  sorrow  here,  as  in  many 
another  place  that  appears  pleasant  to  the  eye. 
It  was  drunkenness.  The  husband  and  father 
was  a  daily  trial  and  shame  to  his  family. 

"Well,"  Mrs.  Porter  said  to  herself  as  Mrs. 
Manson  turned  away,  "  Well,  it  can't  be  helped 
now,  and  worse  things  than  this  might  happen 
after  all."  Then  she  took  up  her  sewing,  which 
had  lain  in  a  large  basket  by  her  side,  and  soon  her 
fingers  were  flying  as  swiftly  as  had  been  their 
custom,  from  morning  till  night,  for  years  past. 

In  a  few  moments  a  strange  sound  of  heavy 
tapping  was  heard  upon  the  flagstones  that  led 
up  to  the  door.  Then  a  very  delicate  looking 
boy,  supported  by  a  couple  of  crutches,  hobbled 
into  the  door,  and  sank  down  wearily  into  a  large 
arm-chair  near  it. 

"  You  look  very  tired,  James,"  said  Mrs. 
Porter ;  "  I  am  afraid  you  have  taken  too  long 

a  walk  to-day." 

i 
"  Yes,  mother,  I  am  tired  ;  but  it  was  such  a  - 

beautiful  afternoon,  and  I  kept  thinking  of  old 
Mrs.  Eay.  You  know  the  doctor  says  she  can't 
live  O,  mother,  isn't  it  dreadful  to  die  with 
no  hope  in  God  ? " 


10  HETTY   PORTEE. 

"  Yes,  my  child,  it  must  be ;  we  must  pray 
for  Mrs.  Eay.  God  would  receive  her  even 
now.  But  don't  talk  any  more,  James,  you  are 
too  tired ; "  and  Mrs.  Porter  rose  and  placed  a 
pillow  behind  his  head,  and,  leaning  wearily 
against  it,  he  closed  his  eyes. 

Mrs.  Porter  ssemed  to  be  expecting  somebody, 
for  she  glanced  often  from  her  work  down  the 
road.  Soon  she  caught  the  gleam  of  a  snowy 
apron,  and  saw  a  blithe  little  figure  hurrying 
along.  A  few  moments  later  steps  were  again 
heard  on  the  pavement ;  but  this  time  they  were 
light,  free  ones.  It  was  Hetty  Porter,  the  twin 
sister  of  James,  but  very  different  in  appear- 
ance. Their  features  were  much  alike ;  but  the 
brightness  of  Hetty's  dark  eyes,  her  pink  cheeks 
and  red  lips,  contrasted  painfully  with  the  pallid 
expression  of  James's  face. 

Hetty's  arms  were  full  of  books,  for  this  was 
the  last  day  of  the  term  of  school.  As  she  came 
I  in  and  placed  them  upon  the  table  she  glanced 
nervously  at  her  mother. 

Mrs.  Porter  understood  the  look,  and,  said 
with  a  smile,  "  Well,  Hetty,  you  are  going  to  lay 
by  your  books  now  for  a  while,  are  you  not  ? " 


HET,TY  PORTER.  11 

"  O  mother !  then  you  have  decided ; "  and 
Hetty  sank  down  into  a  chair,  a  disappointed 
expression  on  her  face. 

"  Yes ;  I  have  tried  to  do  for  the  best ;  but 
don't  look  so  sorry,  child,  you  are  not  going  to 
bury  your  books,  or  if  you  are,  you  will  dig 
them  up  again  I  hope.  Mrs.  Manson  has  been 
here  this  afternoon,  and  she  expects  you  to  go 
with  her  to-morrow  morning." 

"  What  is  it,  mother  ?  Hetty  isn't  going  away, 
is  she  ?  '•'  said  James,  opening  his  eyes  and  look- 
ing anxiously  toward  his  mother. 

"  Yes,  James,  I  shall  have  to  tell  you  now. 
Hetty  is  going  to  spend  the.  summer  with  Mrs. 
Manson,  the  lady  that  has  been  visiting  at  Squire 
Lawton's,  you  know,  doing  light  work  for  her 
housekeeper." 

"  Going  out  to  work !  O,  mother,  must  she?  " 
and  James  bowed  his  head  on  the  top  of  one  of 
his  crutches.  For  a  moment  he  was  very  still ; 
then  he  said,  in  a  voice  which  trembled  with 
feeling,  "  It  is  too  bad,  too  bad." 

"  What  is  too  bad  ? "  said  Mrs.  Porter  gently. 

"  Why,  here  I  sit  from  morning  till  night, 
a  great  boy,  doing  nothing,  only  a  burden,  while 


12  HETTY  PORTER. 

my  sister,  a  girl,  has  to  go  out  to  work.  I  am 
of  no  use  ;  why — " 

"  O,  Jamie,  don't ! "  and  Hetty  was  by  his 
side  in  a  moment,  pressing  his  head  back  against 
the  pillow,  and  brushing  his  hair  from  his  fore- 
head, as  if  she  thought  to  charm  away  with  her 
light  fingers  his  murmuring  thoughts. 

She  succeeded,  for  the  old  patient,  calm  look 
came  over  his  face,  and  he  said  in  a  very  quiet 
voice,  "  Couldn't  we  manage  some  way,  mother  ? 
There  are  those  hats,"  and  he  glanced  at  a  pile 
of  plaited  straw  upon  the  table  ;  "  I  am  sure  I 
could  make  more  if — " 

If  James  had  finished  his  sentence  he  would 
have  said,  "  if  I  could  sell  them ; "  but  the  hope- 
lessness of  the  case  seemed  to  strike  him  here, 
and  he  said  no  more. 

Mrs.  Porter  paid  no  attention  to  the  remark 
concerning  the  hats,  but  she  said  cheerfully,  ".  I 
don't  think  this  is  the  very  worst  thing  that 
might  happen.  To  be  sure  we  shall  miss  Hetty ; 
but  it  will  be  pleasant  to  get  letters  from  her,  and 
we  shall  be  so  glad  to  see  her  in  the  fall.  Besides, 
James,  God  knows  best,  and  he  has  seemed  to 
order  it  in  this  way." 


HETTY   POET EB.  13 

~9 

"  Yes,  I  know  mother ;  but  if  I  could  only 
work  myself — if  I  could  only  do  something; 
but,"  he  added,  checking  himself,  "I  ought 
not  to  complain  ;  God  knows  best." 

Mrs.  Porter  noticed  that  James  looked  even 
paler  than  usual,  and  telling  him  that  he  must 
not  talk  more,  she  assisted  him  to  the  lounge, 
where,  completely  exhausted,  he  lay  very  still ; 
but  his  thoughts  were  busy,  and  he  could  not 
sleep. 

After  James  had  lain  down  Hetty  took  her 
books  and  went  up  stairs  to  her  own  room.  This 
was  a  particularly  pleasant  place  to  her.  Here 
she  had  passed  many  quiet  hours,  with  only  her 
beloved  books  for  company.  Hetty  had  early 
shown  a  great  aptitude  for  learning.  It  was 
one  of  her  most  cherished  hopes  that  she  should 
some  day  be  a  teacher,  and  she  often  thought 
how  nicely  she  would  support  her  mother  and 
Jamie  then.  Her  mother  had  sympathized  with 
her  in  this  desire  for  an  education,  sending  her 
to  school  as  much  as  she  was  able  with  her  limited 
means. 

For  once,  at  least,  Hetty  went  up  stairs  with 
none  of  her  lively  snatches  of  song,  keeping 


14  HETTYPORTER. 

time  to  her  steps.  As  she  entered  the  room,  she 
felt  as  if  it  would  be  a  great  relief  to  sit  down 
in  her  little  study-chair  that  was  drawn  close  to 
the  table  and  looked  so  inviting,  and  have  a 
cry  over  her  troubles;  but  she  did  not; 
!e  had  something  of  her  mother's  force  and 
strength  of  character  about  her.  She  drove 
back  the  tears,  and  commenced  to  talk  to  her- 
self, an  old  habit  of  hers. 

"  What  a  little  goosey  you  are,  Hetty  Porter ; 
just  as  if  you  couldn't  work  as  well  as  other 
folks.  "Well,  I  suppose  I'd  better  put  my  books 
out  of  the  way  somewhere.  Nobody  will  want 
them  throwing  around.  There  is  mother's 
chest ;  they  will  be  as  safe  there  as  if  they  were 
buried  in  the  depths  of  the  ocean." 

Then  she  lifted  the  lid  and  put  them  down 
one  by  one,  and  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  she  was 
laying  by  with  them  all  the  bright  hopes,  the 
beautiful  dreams  that  had  been  so  inexpressibly 
dear  to  her.  The  great  red  chest  was  like  a 
grave  for  them,  and  something  of  the  pain  of 
those  that  bend  over  a  grave  came  with  a  rush 
into  her  heart,  and  sent  the  tears,  that  she  could 
not  now  restrain,  into  her  eyes.  She  was  wiping 


HETTY   PORTE E.  15 

them  away,  angry  with  herself  for  her  weakness, 
when  she  heard  her  mother's  step  behind  her, 
then  felt  her  mother's  arm  around  her. 

"Hetty,  do  you  think  your  mother  is  very 
cruel  ? " 

"  O  no,  mamma !  you  are  the  dearest,  best, 
kindest  mother  that  ever  was,"  and  Hetty  rose, 
and  in  her  quick,  impulsive  way  flung  her  arms 
round  her  mother's  neck. 

Mrs.  Porter  unloosed  her  clinging  arms,  and 
commenced  in  a  hurried  way  to  walk  the  floor. 
At  last  she  said,  speaking  rapidly,  as  if  the  sub- 
ject was  disagreeable,  and  one  to  be  got  over 
with  as  quickly  as  possible, 

"  Your  father  is  getting  worse  and  worse ;  for 
a  long  while  he  has  done  nothing  for  us.  We 
are  very  poor,  Hetty;  all  that  I  can  earn  will 
be  barely  sufficient  to  meet  our  most  pressing 
wants.  I  shall  be  very  thankful  if  we  do  jiot 
have  to  sell  our  home,  but  I  shall  try  hard  to 
keep  it.  I  shall  work  hard  this  summer,  and  I 
hope  by  fall  to  be  able  to  have  you  back  to 
school.  I  have  told  you  this,"  she  continued, 
sitting  down,  "  because  I  wished  you  to  know 
why  I  send  you  from  me." 


16  HETTY  PORTER. 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  to  school,"  said  Hetty ; 
"  why  shouldn't  I  work  as  well  as  you  ?  But  O, 
mother,  do  you  think  we  shall  have  to  sell  our 
home  ?  what  would  become  of  us?" 

" '  Take  no  thought  for  the  morrow,  for  your 
heavenly  Father  knoweth  ye  have  need  of  all 
these  tilings  ; '  do  you  believe  this,  Hetty  ? " 

"Yes,  mother." 

"  Then  don't  let  us  borrow  any  more  trouble. 
I  want  to  talk  with  you  now  and  give  you  some 
advice  that  I  think  will  be  of  use  to  you." 

The  mother  talked  long  and  earnestly  with 
her  child,  especially  of  those  things,  both  of 
a  temporal  and  spiritual  character,  that  would 
have  occurred  only  to  a  mother's  mind.  In  the 
midst  of  their  conversation  they  heard  the  sound 
of  Jamie's  crutches  down  stairs,  and  Mrs.  Porter 
said,  "  James  is  up  now,  let  us  go  down  ;  try 
and  be  cheerful,  Hetty.  Poor  child,  he  takes 
your  going  away  very  hard  I  see." 

The  evening  passed  away  very  swiftly,  there 
was  so  much  to  say,  so  much  to  think  of.  Very 
earnest  were  the  prayers  that  were  offered  up 
that  night.  God  had  given  to  Mrs.  Porter  both 
of  her  children  to  walk  with  her  in  the  road  to 


HETTY   PORTER.  17 

heaven.  One  of  them  was  a  very  mature  Chris- 
tian, so  zealous  in  his  love  and  works  for  God 
that  he  was  sometimes  even  a  reproach  to  his 
mother.  These  three  were  bound  together  with 
a  more  than  natural  love.  The  Christian  love 
sanctified  that  love,  and  made  it  more  intense 
and  holy. 

Where  was  Mr.  Porter  this  evening  while  his 
wife  and  children  were  talking,  and  praying  over 
the  sundering  of  their  little  family  circle?  In  a 
grog-shop  at  the  farther  end  of  the  village; 
surrounded  by  a  set  of  low,  vulgar  men,  listen- 
ing to,  and  sometimes  joining  in,  horrid  blas- 
phemies against  that  God  his  family  so  loved 
and  revered.  Mr.  Porter  had  not  been  always 
the  man  he  is  to-night.  There  was  a  time 
when  he  would  have  scorned  his  present  associ- 
ations— a  time  when  he  went  regularly  to  church, 
and  night  and  morning  prayed  with  his  family. 
But  that  time  was  long  ago;  he  was  treading 
now  with  a  quick  step  the  path  to  destruction. 

Hetty  awoke  with  a  start  the  next  morning, 
for  her  room  was  full  of  light.  She  had  intended 
to  get  up  very  early  that  morning;  but  there 
was  no  help  for  it  now,  and  dressing  herself  as 


18  H  E  T  T  Y    P  O  R  T  E  R. 

quickly  as  possible,  she  hurried  down.  Mrs. 
Porter  had  arisen  long  before ;  she  had  got  Het- 
ty's trunk  all  in  readiness,  and  now  had  break- 
fast nearly  prepared. 

"  Would  you  not  like  to  go  out  in  the  yard, 
Hetty,  till  I  call  you? "  said  Mrs.  Porter.  "  You 
will  find  James  there  ? " 

Among  the  trees  of  the  yard  was  a  little  arbor, 
which  had  been  made  by  binding  the  thick 
branches  of  two  trees  together  for  the  top,  and 
putting  a  trellis  on  one  end  for  a  vine  to  clamber 
over.  Hetty  was  not  surprised  to  find  James  in 
this  place  upon  his  knees,  for  he  often  came  here 
to  pray.  She  sat  down  quietly  on  the  seat 
not  far  from  him.  Now  and  then  she  caught 
a  few  whispered  words,  and  she  thought  she 
had  never  seen  him  look  so  happy  and  so  beau- 
tiful before.* 

When  the  boy  arose  he  did  not  seem  in  the 
least  surprised  or  annoyed  at  his  sister's  presence. 
He  smiled  his  own  sweet  smile,  then  sat  down 
by  her  side  without  speaking. 

"  You  got  up  very  early  this  morning,  didn't 
you,  Jamie  ? "  said  Hetty. 

*  See  Frontispiece. 


IlETTYPORTEB.  19 

"  Yes,  but  I  lay  awake  a  long  while  thinking, 
thinking." 

"What  about?" 

James  lowered  his  voice,  and  spoke  very  rev- 
erentially as  he  said,  "  I  was  thinking  how  I 
wished  Jesus  was  here  on  earth  now,  and-  that  I 
could  go  and  kneel  before  him,  and  ask  him  to 
heal  me ;  and  then  he  would  say,  perhaps,  '  Do 
you  believe  that  I  am  able  to  do  this  ? '  and  I 
thought  how  truly  I  could  say,  '  Lord,  I  be- 
lieve.' " 

"My  poor  brother,"  said  Hetty,  sadly  looking 
down  at  the  useless  limbs,  "  how  I  wish  you 
might  be  healed." 

"  I  didn't  care  so  much  for  myself,  but  I  did 
want  to  work  for  mother ;  but  now,  Hetty,  I  am 
perfectly  satisfied  as  it  is.  I  believe  that  God 
would  heal  me  this  very  moment  if  it  was  for 
the  best.  O,  the  Lord  is  good,  so  good  to  me  !" 

There  was  a  long  pause ;  then  James  said, 
"  Hetty,  suppose  I  should  never  see  you  after 
to-day." 

"  O  Jamie !  you  don't  mean  you  think  you  are 
going  to  die,  do  you  ? "  and  Hetty  looked  with  a 

sudden  fear  into  his  face. 
2 


20  HETTY    PORTER. 

"  I  only  mean  perhaps  I  shall,  and  perhaps 
you  will ;  but  if  we  should,  either  of  us,  wouldn't 
we  meet  again  in  heaven  ? " 

"  I  hope  so,"  said  Hetty. 

James  clasped  his  hands,  and  said  in  a  sort 
of  ecstacy,  "  O,  this  world  is  just  nothing 
compared  with  that  great,  wonderful,  glorious 
Eternity ! " 

Soon  they  heard  their  mother's  call,  and  to- 
gether they  went  into  the  house.  The  moments 
flew  rapidly,  for  they  still  had  much  to  say,  and 
soon  the  carriage  drove  up  to  the  door. 

Mr.  Porter  had  just  arisen  and  come  out  into 
the  kitchen,  as  Hetty,  with  her  hat  and  shawl 
on,  stood  ready  to  go.  He  made  no  remark, 
asked  no  questions,  but  sat  down  sullenly  to  the 
breakfast  which  his  wife  hastily  placed  upon  the 
table.  "What  did  he  care  where  his  child  was 
going  ? 

Hetty  kissed  her  mother  and  James ;  then 
a  sudden  impulse  made  her  turn  to  her  father. 
She  reached  her  hand  toward  him,  half  fearfully, 
and  her  voice  trembled  as  she  said,  "  Good-by, 
father." 

Mr.  Porter  looked  up  at  her  with  a  stupid 


HETTY  PORTER.  21 

sort  of  wonder  ;  then  pushing  away  the  proffered 
hand,  and  saying  with  a  scowl,  "  Don't  be  a 
fool,"  he  turned  to  his  breakfast,  nor  lifted  his 
eyes  from  it  again. 

At  another  time  Hetty  would  not  have  noticed 
this  rebuff;  but  now,  as  she  was  going  away,  it 
seemed  almost  more  than  she  could  bear.  But 
another  kiss  from  her  mother,  and  a  pressure  of 
James's  hand,  comforted  her,  and  she  entered 
the  carriage  and  was  soon  borne  away,  leaving 
two  lonely  hearts  behind  her. 

In  after  years  this,  her  last  parting  with  her 
father,  was  one  of  the  saddest  pictures  in  Hetty's 
memory. 


22  HETTY   PORTE B. 


CHAPTER  II. 

NEW  FACES  AND  NEW  SCENES. 

HETTY  went  into  the  cars  feeling  rather  down 
hearted,  as  was  very  natural  for  one  leaving 
home  for  the  first  time;  but  she  soon  forgol 
herself  in  her  interest  in  the  new  faces  anc 
scenes  around  her.  She  looked  out  at  th( 
houses  and  trees,  that  seemed  to  fly  past,  ther 
back  at  the  sleepy  passengers  within,  and  slit 
found  much  to  interest  her  in  their  dull  faces, 
Her  imagination  supplied  her  plentifully  witl: 
information  which,  if  fanciful,  was  quite  inter- 
esting. 

After  a  while  Mrs.  Manson,  who  was  sitting 
opposite,  seemed  to  catch  the  prevailing  sleep 
iness,  for  she  leaned  back  against  the  cushions 
and  closed  her  eyes ;  and  Hetty,  leaving  hei 
pleasant  fancies,  turned  her  attention  towarc 
her.  She  thought  she  read  a  proud,  cold  ex 
pression  on  the  lady's  face,  and  somehow  she 
felt  as  if  there  was  not  much  love  or  sympathy 


II  E  T  T  Y    P  0  R  T  E  B.  23 

in  her  nature.  Perhaps  she  was  'wrong,  as  one 
is  apt  to  be  when  they  judge  hastily ;  but  the 
white  rose-buds  that  surrounded  the  lady's  face, 
the  stiff  folds  of  her  silk  dress,  indeed  every- 
thing about  her,  all  said  the  same  thing  to  the 
child,  who  had  always  an  ear  for  such  mute 
informers ;  and  she  turned  to  the  window,  her 
thoughts  all  driven  homeward,  and  wondered 
how  she  should  live  without  her  mother's  kind 
words,  and  dear  Jamie  to  help  her  do  right. 
Then  she  thought  of  the  great  Father  who 
would  lead  her  gently  and  lovingly  if — "  if,  as 
Jamie  says,  I  will  only  put  my  hand  in  his." 
She  was  praying  in  her  heart  for  this  guidance 
and  love  when  the  cars  again  stopped,  and  Mrs. 
Manson  rose,  and  beckoning  her  to  follow,  went 
out. 

Just  outside  of  the  village,  half  hid  by  a 
maple  grove,  was  a  large  white  house.  This 
was  Mrs.  Manson's  home,  and  Hetty  thought, 
as  she  rode  over  the  long  carriage-path,  and 
noticed  the  pretty  grounds,  and  the  wide  piazza, 
that  it  was  almost  as  grand  and  nice  a  place  as 
Squire  Lawton's,  the  one  by  which  she  always 
judged. 


24  HETTYPORTER. 

As  the  driver  brought  his  horses  to  a  stand 
with  a  loud  "  whoa,"  a  boy  came  out  of  the 
house,  and,  flinging  open  the  stage  door,  assisted 
Mrs.  Manson  out,  with  many  exclamations  of 
delight  and  surprise  at  her  arrival. 

Hetty  followed  them  into  a  little  library, 
which  opened  from  one  side  of  the  wide  hall. 
Dr.  Manson,  the  lady's  husband,  a  tall,  grave- 
looking  man,  in  dressing-gown  and  slippers,  was 
in  this  room.  He  rose,  and,  extending  his  hand 
to  Mrs.  Manson,  said,  '  "Welcome  home !  you 
have  given  us  a  pleasant  surprise.' ': 

"  Yes,"  said  the  lady,  throwing  off  her  bonnet 
and  shawl,  and  sitting  down  by  his  side,  "  I 
changed  my  plans,  and  have  come  home  sooner 
than  I  intended  when  I  left  you." 

A  long  conversation  followed,  for  both  the 
boy  and  his  father  had  many  questions  to  ask 
and  to  answer.  Hetty  sank  down  into  a  chair 
near  the  door,  feeling  very  uncomfortable,  and 
wishing  heartily  that  some  disposal  was  made 
of  her.  Now  and  ^then  she  caught  a  quizzical 
glance  from  the  boy,  who  was  leaning  over  the 
back  of  his  mother's  chair ;  but,  besides  this, 
she  was  entirely  unnoticed  for  a  very  long  time, 


H  E  T  T  Y    P  O  B  T  E  R.  25 

as  it  seemed  to  her.  At  last  Dr.  Manson  looked 
toward  her,  and  said  to  his  wife,  "  Whom  have 
you  here  ? " 

"  O,  I  had  quite  forgotten,"  replied  Mrs.  Man- 
son.  "  This  is  a  little  girl  I  have  brought  for  a 
peace-offering  to  Ellis.  Watty,  my  son,  will 
you  show  her  down  to  the  kitchen  ? " 

Watty  opened  the  door  and  went  out,  and 
Hetty  followed  after.  He  commenced  whistling 
a  tune  that  had  all  sorts  of  ups  and  downs  to  it, 
which  he  kept  up  till  they  had  got  through  the 
long  hall,  through  a  large  room  that  opened 
from  it,  down  a  few  stairs,  and  stood  at  the 
kitchen  door;  then  he  brought  it  to  a  sudden 
stop,  and,  turning  round,  said,  "  What  is  your 
name  ? " 

"  Hetty  Porter." 

He  flung  open  the  door  and  they  entered  a 
large  room.  No  one  was  in  sight,  but  there 
was  a  sound  of  steps  above  them. 

"  Ellis  !  Ellis  !  where  are  you  ? "  called 
Watty. 

"  I'm  up  stairs,  what  do  you  want  ? "  replied 
a  strong  voice. 

"  Come  down  a  minute." 


26  HETTY  PORTER. 

"  Wait  till  I  get  through  sweeping." 

Watty  handed  Hetty  a  chair,  a  mark  of  polite- 
ness of  which  he  had  shown  no  trace  before ; 
then  he  stood  up  before  a  fireplace,  in  which  a 
few  coals  were  sputtering  out  tiny  sparks,  and 
puckered  up  his  mouth  for  another  whistle ;  but 
a  new  idea  seemed  to  strike  him  just  then,  for 
he  unpuckered  it  before  he  had  well  commenced, 
and  drawing  round  a  large  covered  arm-chair, 
he  said  in  a  whisper  to  Hetty, 

"  Just  go  behind  there  a  minute,  where  she 
wont  see  you.  I  want  to  have  a  little  fun." 

Hetty  did  not  see  where  the  fun  was  coming 
from ;  but  hardly  daring  to  refuse,  or  to  ask  any 
questions,  she  went  behind  the  chair,  and  stoop- 
ing down  out  of  sight,  waited  for  its  develop- 
ment. 

Soon  steps  were  heard  coming  down  the  -stairs 
and  over  the  floor,  that  made  the  chairs  and 
stove  jar  in  time  to  them.  Hetty  peeped  curi- 
ously from  one  side  of  her  hiding  place,  and  saw 
a  large,  queer  looking  woman  standing  with  a 
broom  in  her  hand. 

"  What  do  you  want  ? "  she  said. 

"  O,  nothing  very  particular,  only  mother  has 


HETTYPORTER.  27 

got  home,  and  she  has  brought  you  one  of  the 
nicest  presents." 

"  What  is  it  ? "  and  the  woman's  voice  became 
much  pleasanter. 

"  It's  the  queerest  thing — it  can  wash  dishes 
and  scour  knives  without  your  turning  a  crank 
or  anything." 

"  O,  go  away  with  your  fooling." 

"  It's  true,  Ellis,  honor  bright." 

When  Watty  said  "  honor  bright,"  he  con- 
sidered that  he  had  affirmed  a  thing  as  stoutly 
as  it  was  possible  to  affirm  it.  Mrs.  Ellis  under- 
stood this,  and  her  voice  had  a  good  deal  more  of 
interest  in  it  as  she  said,  "  Why,  it  must  be  a 
strange  thing,  what  on  earth  does  it  look  like?  " 

"  It  looks  real  good  ;  come  to  think,  it  would 
do  to  set  up  in  the  corner  for  an  ornament  when 
you  aint  using  it." 

"  I  don't  care  for  your  ornaments,"  said  the 
woman  scornfully ;  "  but  now,  Watty,  you  just 
run  up  stairs  like  a  good  boy  and  bring  it  down. 
I'll  get  the  hang  of  it,  so  I  can  wash  up  the  dishes 
with  it  to-night." 

"It  aint  up  stairs,  I  brought  it  down  with 
inc." 


28  HETTY    PORTER. 

"  Is  it  in  your  pocket  ? "  she  said,  looking  sus- 
piciously at  him. 

"  No  ;  now,  Ellis,  you  needn't  think  it  is  any 
insignificant  little  thing,  that  a  fellow  could 
put  in  his  pocket.  I  tell  you  it's  a  real,  genuine, 
superfine  article." 

"Why  don't  you  show  it,  then  ?  what's  the  use 
of  fooling?" 

"  I  will,  this  very  minute,  if  you  will  promise 
me  one  thing." 

"  Well ! "  she  said  impatiently. 

"  That  is,  let  me  make  a  little  paste  to-night 
when  you  build  the  fire  in  the  stove." 

There  was  nothing  that  annoyed  Ellis  BO  much 
as  to  have  Watty  "  clustering  round  in  the 
kitchen ; "  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  other  way 
to  satisfy  her  curiosity,  which  was  becoming 
insupportable,  and  she  gave  her  consent. 

"  Will  you  now,  honor  bright  ? " 

"Yes,  I  say;  hurry,  wont  you?" 

Watty  pulled  aside  the  chair,  and  Hetty, 
blushing  under  Mrs.  Ellis's  wondering  gaze,  rose 
to  her  feet. 

Watty  laughed  loudly ;  and  when  he  noticed 
Hetty's  burning  face  he  burst  out  into  another 


HETTY  PORTER.  29 

explosion,  and  said,  "  You  needn't  be  so  fright- 
ened, she  wont  hurt  you  if  she  does  look  fierce ; " 
then,  before  Mrs.  Ellis  had  recovered  from  her 
surprise,  he  left  the  room,  turning  as  he  reached 
the  door  to  say  exultingly,  "  I'll  be  down  in  a 
little  while  to  make  my  paste." 

""What  does  he  mean?"  said  Ellis,  looking 
first  at  the  retreating  boy,  then  at  the  child  be- 
fore her. 

"I  suppose  he  means  me"  said  Hetty. 

"  You  !  who  are  you  ? " 

"  I  am  Hetty  Porter.  I  came  home  with 
Mrs.  Manson.  She  has  hired  me  to  work  here 
this  summer." 

"  O !  "  said  Ellis,  the  light  dawning  upon  her. 
Then  she  commenced  a  deliberate  survey,  which 
began  at  the  crown  of  Hetty's  hat,  pausing  a 
long  time  at  the  blushing  face  below  it,  then 
extending  gradually  down  to  the  braid  on  the 
bottom  of  her  dress. 

Hetty  was  half  frightened  at  first ;  she  was  not 
used  to  such  ill-mannered  proceedings;  but  she 
glanced  up  at  Mrs.  Ellis,  and  becoming  a  little 
reassured,  she  began  to  study  her  in  turn. 

Ellis  was   a   very  tall,  spare   woman.     Her 


30  II  E  T  T  Y    P  O  R  T  E  R. 

• 

form  and  features  seemed  made  up  of  angles,  so 
square  were  their  outlines.  She  had  light  yel- 
low hair,  which  she  wore  in  a  twist  almost  on 
the  top  of  her  head,  and  the  comb  that  confined 
it  there  towered  up,  looking,  Hetty  thought, 
like  a  sentinel  on  some  high  rampart. 

At  last  Ellis  seemed  satisfied  with  her  exam- 
ination ;  her  eyes  came  up  again  with  a  rapid 
motion  to  Hetty's  face,  and  she  said,  "  Well,  I 
declare  I'm  glad  if  I'm  going  to  have  a  little 
help ;  if  there's  anybody  on  earth  that  needs  it 
I  do."  Then  her  thoughts  turned  to  what  "Watty 
had  said,  and  she  exclaimed  angrily,  "  That  boy 
told  a  regular  lie." 

A  lie  seemed  a  horrible  thing  to  Hetty,  and 
somehow  she  felt  as  if  it  belonged  to  her  to 
remove  the  accusation,  so  she  said,  "I  don't 
think  he  really  did;  he  said  I  could  wash 
dishes  without  your  turning  a  crank,  and  I 
am  sure  I  can,"  laughing  a  little  at  the  idea, 
then  adding  somewhat  doubtfully,  "  but  he 
did  deceive  you,"  I  think. 

Ellis  paid  no  attention  to  Hetty's  attempt  at 
palliation.  She  pointed  to  a  table  in  one  corner 
and  said,  "  You  can  take  your  things  off  there." 


HETTY  PORTER.  31 

Hetty  obeyed,  then  went  and  sat  down  by  the 
fireplace.  After  a  while  Ellis  brought  some  cof- 
fee for  her  to  look  over,  saying,  "  You  may  as 
well  be  doing  that  as  doing  nothing  ; "  then  she 
was  left  alone  for  a  while,  for  Ellis  went  up  to 
lay  the  table  for  tea  in  the  dining-room. 

Hetty  and  Ellis  had  tea  together  in  the 
kitchen.  Ellis  asked  a  great  many  blunt  ques- 
tions which  it  was  a  real  pleasure  for  Hetty  to 
answer,  it  seemed  so  good  to  be  noticed  by  some- 
body. She  found  out  afterward  that  it  was  only 
on  rare  occasions  that  Ellis  was  so  sociable. 
Generally  her  tongue  was  a  silent  member. 

Hetty  felt  a  great  desire  to  please,  and  she 
said,  as  she  rose  from  the  table,  "  Now  I  will 
wash  the  dishes  better  than  any  machine  could, 
see  if  I  don't." 

"  No,  you'd  spile  your  good  clothes ;  wait  till 
to-morrow,  when  you  have  your  every-day  rig 
on,"  said  Ellis ;  and  Hetty  was  very  thankful, 
for  she  had  forgotten  that  she  had  on  her  best 
dress. 

After  a  while  Watty  came  down  to  make  his 
paste.  He  was  full  of  jokes  and  fun,  but  for 
once  Ellis  was  not  very  much  annoyed.  The 


32  HETTY  PORTER. 

prospect  of  having  help  had  put  her  in  good 
humor. 

When  Hetty  had  finished  the  coffee  she  helped 
Watty  paste  some  birds  with  plumage  painted 
in  the  brightest  colors,  and  some  fierce  looking 
animals,  on  pieces  of  canvas  ;  and  he,  in  consid- 
eration of  her  services,  condescended  to  tell  her 
why  he  was  doing  it. 

"  You  see,  we  boys  are  getting  up  a  kind  of 
menagerie ;  we  have  got  a  lot  of  snakes,  and 
bugs,  and  things,  and  one  of  the  boys  got  his 
sister  to  draw  these  foreign  birds  and  animals, 
and  I  painted  them,  and  I  am  going  to  paste 
them  on  canvas  to  make  them  stout  enough  to 
stand  the  wear  and  tear,  you  know." 

Watty  went  up  stairs  congratulating  himself 
that  the  new  girl  "  wasn't  mopish  and  cross  like 
Ellis."  "  Why,  she's  dreadful  obliging,"  he  said 
to  himself. 

At  last  Hetty  went  up  to  the  room  that  Ellis 
showed  her,  feeling  much  happier  than  she  did 
when  she  first  entered  the  house  and  sat  so  un- 
comfortably in.Dr.  Manson's  library.  "  It  is  not 
so  bad  as  it  might  be,"  she  said,  repeating  her 
mother's  favorite  expression  to  herself;  then, 

. 


HETTY  PORTER.  33 

falling  down  on  her  knees,  she  prayed  earnestly 
for  herself  and  for  the  dear  ones  far  away. 

Hetty's  room  was  a  small  one,  almost  a  closet, 
opening  from  the  one  Ellis  occupied.  "  I  won- 
der if  she  is  a  Christian,"  thought  Hetty,  as  she 
heard  Ellis  coming  up  to  bed,  and  she  watched 
anxiously  to  see  if  she  would  kneel  down  ;  but 
she  did  not ;  and  Hetty  covered  her  face  in  the 
bedclothes  and  thought  how  much,  how  very 
much  strength  she  should  need  in  the  new  life 
she  was  now  commencing. 


34:       HETTY  PORTER. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MRS.    ELLIS'S    STORY. 

ONE  by  one  the  days  passed  away,  bringing 
plenty  of  work,  and  plenty  of  steps  for  the  little 
servant  in  Dr.  Manson's  kitchen.  There  was 
nothing  very  hard  for  Hetty  to  do ;  her  mother 
had  made  that  one  of  the  conditions  of  her  com- 
ing ;  but  the  almost  ceaseless  motion  in  which 
Mrs.  Ellis  kept  her  often  made  her  very  tired. 
Besides  this  there  were  other  little  troubles  that 
she  found  in  her  new  position.  Mrs.  Ellis  was 
not  really  cross ;  but  she  had  such  a  sharp,  quick 
way  of  giving  her  orders,  and  she  was  so  very 
unsocial ;  she  kept  up  such  a  grim  sort  of  silence, 
that  Hetty  was  often  very  lonely,  and  sometimes 
a  little  homesick,  though  she  would  never  con- 
fess it  in  her  letters  to  her  mother  and  James. 
During  his  vacation  Watty  was  much  in  the 
kitchen.  Pie  was  laying  up  a  pile  of  wood  in 
the  shed,  and  often  in  the  day  he  had  to  stop 
his  work  and  come  into  the  kitchen  to  have 


HETTYPORTER.  35 

a  little  fun,  and  play  off  some  of  his  practical 
jokes ;  and  Hetty  learned  after  a  while  to  laugh 
as  heartily  at  them  when  they  were  played  upon 
herself,  as  though  they  did  not  annoy  her. 

Hetty  really  liked  Watty.  The  gay,  lively 
boy  had  a  way  of  winning  almost  everybody  for 
a  friend ;  but  after  all,  he  was  another  of  the 
little  troubles  that  she  had  to  contend  with. 

"Watty  Manson  was  called  a  very  polite,  gen- 
tlemanly boy.  At  the  little  parties  that  were 
very  fashionable  among  his  young  friends,  he 
always  shone  a  "  bright  particular  star,"  as  well 
for  his  proper  conduct,  as  for  the  fun  and  frolic 
that  seemed  a  part  of  his  nature.  But  when  he 
came  down  the  long  hall  into  the  kitchen  his 
politeness  seemed  to  evaporate  in  the  whistling 
that  always  accompanied  him  on  that  route, 
and  when  at  last  he  flung  open  the  door,  it  was 
all  gone  and  he  acted  under  no  more  restraint 
than  a  young  Indian.  Hetty  did  not  at  all  relish 
the  easy  superiority  that  he  assumed  over  her. 
He  abbreviated  her  name  to  "  Het,"  an  abbre- 
viation that  she  considered  as  detracting  very 
much  from  her  dignity. 

Hetty  went  to  church  and  to  Sabbath-school 


36  HETTY    POBTEB. 

regularly.  Mrs.  Manson  took  her  into  her  own 
class,  and  after  a  while  the  first  impression  that 
the  lady  was  stern  wore  away  and  she  really 
liked  her.  She  explained  very  clearly  the  diffi- 
cult passages  in  the  Bible  lessons,  and  made 
the  whole  interesting  with  historical  facts  and 
anecdotes  relating  to  them  ;  but  there  was  never 
that  direct  appeal  to  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  her  scholars  that  Hetty's  old  teacher  always 
made  ;  she  sometimes  talked  to  them  in  a  general 
way  of  their  duty  to  God ;  but  never  spoke  to 
them  individually  of  this,  nor  tried  to  lead  them 
with  loving  words  to  the  Saviour. 

Excepting  on  Sunday,  Hetty  saw  but  little  of 
Mrs.  Manson  ;  once  in  a  great  while  only  she 
came  down  into  the  kitchen.  She  trusted  every- 
thing to  Mrs.  Ellis,  and  Hetty  soon  found  that 
Ellis  was  exceedingly  proud  and  jealous  of  this 
trust.  If  at  any  time  anything  did  go  wrong, 
enough  so  to  call  for  an  explanation  or  reproof 
from  the  lady  of  the  house,  Ellis  had  always  an 
excuse  that  quite  shifted  the  blame  from  herself; 
and  another  of  Hetty's  troubles  was,  that  she 
was  found  so  convenient  a  scapegoat  for  the 
kitchen  accidents;  but  this  trouble  did  not 


HETTY    PORTER.  37 

occur  often,  for  Ellis  was  a  thoroughly  good 
housekeeper,  and  things  went  along  smoothly 
under  her  care. 

Sometimes  Hetty  went  up  stairs  on  errands, 
into  the  rooms  which  seemed  so  grand  and 
beautiful  to  her.  The  pictures  on  the  walls  of 
the  parlor  surpassed  everything  she  had  ever 
before  seen,  and  she  thought  she  should  never 
tire  of  looking  at  them.  One  evening  she 
went  into  Mrs.  Hanson's  room  to  assist  her  in 
dressing,  and  this  room  she  thought  the  prettiest 
in  the  house.  The  pure  white  curtains,  the 
neat  engravings  on  the  wall,  the  easy  chairs 
and  lounge,  everything  so  tasteful  and  rich,  that 
Hetty  lay  awake  long  that  night,  building  a 
house  for  her  mother,  James,  and  herself,  with 
a  room  in  it  exactly  the  counterpart  of  Mrs. 
Manson's  for  her  mother's  room. 

One  night,  after  the  day's  work  was  done,  as 
Hetty  was  standing  by  the  window  trying  to 
find  something  outside  for  company  for  her 
thoughts,  her  eye  fell  upon  an  old-looking  house 
that  stood  back  a  little  from  the  road  in  a  large 
field.  She  had  noticed  this  house  often  before. 
Once  she  thought  she  saw  smoke  ascending  from 


38  HETTY  PORTER. 

one  of  the  chimneys ;  but  she  had  concluded  she 
must  be  mistaken,  for  there  never  seemed  to  be 
any  stir  around  there,  and  it  looked  such  a  tum- 
bledown affair  as  to  be  hardly  a  fit  dwelling- 
place  for  any  one.  But  to-night  she  took  a 
great  interest  in  the  old  house ;  perhaps  it 
was  because  she  could  find  nothing  else  outside 
that  would  bring  her  any  new  thoughts.  This 
was  certainly  the  source  for  many ;  for  after  she 
had  conjured  up  a  history  for  it,  and  put  in  it 
tenants  according  to  her  fancy,  she  wandered  off 
from  the  simple  ruins  that  she  saw  to  the  grand 
old  ruins  of  the  old  country,  and  traveled  round 
from  place  to  place,  visiting  them,  as  she  often 
did,  in  her  imagination. 

"  You  have  lived  here  a  great  many  years, 
haven't  you,  Mrs.  Ellis  ? "  said  Hetty  at  last  as, 
tired  of  her  own  thoughts,  she  turned  from  the 
window. 

During  the  day  it  was  almost  an  impossibility 
to  get  anything  in  the  shape  of  conversation  from 
Mrs.  Ellis ;  but  there  were  times  when  the  day's 
work  was  done,  and  she  sat  idly  before  the  fire- 
place, when  she  seemed  to  have  a  little  soci- 
ability about  her.  These  were  golden  moments, 


HETTY   PORTER.  39 

as  Hetty  had  found  out ;  and  now,  as  she  turned 
from  the  window,  she  felt  that  one  of  these  rare 
opportunities  had  come. 

"  Yes,  a  long  while,"  said  Mrs.  Ellis,  in  answer 
to  the  question. 

"  How  long  ?  "  continued  Hetty,  drawing  a 
chair  upon  the  hearth  and  sitting  down. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  exactly ;  ever  since 
Watty  was  a  baby,  and  he's  a  great  ugly  boy 
now." 

"  Do  you  know  who  lived  in  that  old  queer 
looking  house  back  in  the  field  last  ? "  said  Het- 
ty, hurrying  to  change  the  conversation. 

"  I  know  who  lives  there  now,"  replied  Mrs. 
Ellis. 

"  Does  anybody  live  there  now !  I  thought  it 
was  all  in  ruins." 

"  Yes ;  there's  an  old  man,  and  a  puny  little 
ghost  of  a  child  lives  there  now." 

"  O,  do  tell  me  about  them ! "  said  Hetty, 
hitching  her  chair  up  closer,  and  looking  appeal- 
in  gly  into  Mrs.  Ellis's  face. 

Ellis  looked  down  with  a  stare  into  Hetty's 
eager  eyes,  and  said,  "  Why,  what  a  queer 
young  one  ;  there  isn't  any  more  to  tell." 


40  HETTY   PORTER. 

"  But,  Ellis,  now  please  do  begin  at  the  begin- 
ning, and  tell  ine  all  you  know  about  them ; " 
and  Hetty,  in  her  eagerness,  grasped  Mrs. 
Ellis's  hand  in  hers. 

It  was  something  new  for  Ellis  to  tell  a  story  ; 
but  the  touch  of  Hetty's  fingers  and  the  child's 
eager  face,  raised  so  imploringly,  prevailed,  for 
Mrs.  Ellis  had  a  heart,  though,  perhaps,  it  would 
take  a  good  deal  of  searching  to  find  it. 

"  "Well,  let  me  see,"  said  Ellis,  leaning  for- 
ward and  resting  her  chin  in  both  hands ;  "  I 
guess  it's  about  four  years  since  they  first  came 
here.  His  name  is  Graham,  and  he's  an  English- 
man. I  know  Mrs.  Manson  was  saying  she 
wished  that  old  house  would  take  fire  and  burn 
up,  she  didn't  like  to  have  such  a  shabby -looking 
thing  so  near  her ;  then  the  first  thing  we  knew 
they  moved  in  there.  They  say  he's  dreadful 
rich  ;  but,  mercy  me,  it  don't  do  him  any  good 
nor  the  child  either." 

"Tell  me  about  the  child,"  said  Hetty. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  much  about  her ;  they 
say  she's  his  grandchild.  She  came  here  once 
to  buy  a  quart  of  milk,  that's  the  only  time  I 
over  saw  her ;  she  never  goes  to  school  or  any- 


HETTY   PORTER.  41 

where ;  she  was  a  little'  puny  thing,  and  she  had 
on  a  ragged,  faded  dress.  The  old  man  goes 
away  every  year — yes,  it's  just  about  this  time — 
I  presume  he's  gone  now,  and  that  child  stays 
there  all  alone." 

"  What  does  he  go  for  ?  "  asked  Hetty. 

"Mrs.  Manson  says  that  probably  he  has 
money,  rents,  or  something  due,  that  he"  goes 
to  get — that's  all  I  know  about  them ; "  and 
Mrs.  Ellis  raised  her  head  again ;  "  are  you 
satisfied  now  ? " 

"  Yes,  thank  you,  Ellis.  O,  it  is  dreadful, 
dreadful,  when  God  is  so  good  to  give  him 
money  that  he  should  be  so  wicked  about  it ;  " 
and  Hetty  .looked  into  the  dark  ashes  and 
thought  of  great  iron  vaults,  and  bags  heavy  with 
gold,  and  of  greedy  gray-headed  misers,  such 
q,s  she  had  read  about ;  then  she  went  again  to 
the  window,  and  looked  with  a  new  interest  at 
the  old  house.  It  was  almost  night  now,  and 
the  shadows  around  it  were  very  thick;  but 
Hetty's  fruitful  imagination  could  pierce  through 
them  all,  and  through  the  dark,  thick  walls, 
and  it  saw  a  little  girl  with  white  hands  folded 
patiently,  and  such  a  pale,  sad,  sweet  face,  with 


42  »HETTYPOKTER. 

v 
beautiful  large  blue  eyes,  sitting  there  in  the 

shadow  all  alone. 

"  It's  time  to  go  to  bed,"  said  Ellis  from  the 
fireplace.  "  I've  got  a  lot  of  work  to  do  to-mor- 
row, and  I'm  awful  tired.  1  wonder  if  there 
will  ever  be  any  rest  for  me." 

Hetty  turned  from  the  window,  and  said  ab- 
ruptly, speaking  the  thoughts  that  Ellis's  words 
brought,  and  somehow  these  thoughts  were  con- 
nected with  the  little  girl,  "  There  is  rest  for  the 
weary  in  heaven." 

Ellis  paid  no  attention  to  Hetty's  words,  but 
lighted  a  candle  and  went  up  stairs.  If  she 
ever  had  any  thoughts  of  God,  or  holy  things, 
no  one  ever  knew  it,  for  she  never  spoke  such 
thoughts. 

The  little  girl  glided  into  Hetty's  prayers 
that  night;  and,  in  asking  a  blessing  for  the 
unknown  child,  she  felt  happier  herself,  and 
sank  to  rest  with  that  peace  in  her  heart  which 
only  God  can  give. 


HETTY  PORTER.       43 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MAGGIE    GRAHAM. 

A  FEW  evenings  after  the  conversation  with 
Mrs.  Ellis  Hetty  was  sitting  again  over  the 
large  fireplace.  This  time  there  was  a  bright 
fire  blazing  there,  and  red  coals  sending  out  a 
glow  that  seemed  very  beautiful  and  cheery  to 
the  child.  The  day  had  been  damp  and  rainy, 
and  after  a  good  deal  of  persuasion  Ellis  had 
allowed  her  to  build  a  fire  there. 

Hetty  was  alone  now,  for  Mrs.  Ellis  had  been 
called  up  stairs ;  yet  most  interesting  company 
danced  and  leaped  up  over  the  andirons,  or  lay 
glowing  and  blinking  on  the  hearth.  It  was  so 
easy  now  to  build  castles  and  churches,  to  see 
queer  little  figures  dressed  in  flame-colored  gar- 
ments jumping  up  here  and  there  in  all  sorts  of 
attitudes,  and  making  all  sorts  of  motions. 

Hetty  was  enjoying  her  bright  fire,  and  the 
pictures  that  were  set  so  thickly  in  it,  when  she 
was  almost  startled  from  her  chair  by  a  vivid 


44  HETTY  PORTE K. 

flash  of  lightning,  and  a  roar  of  thunder  that, 
seemed  to  shake  the  whole  house.  These  were 
succeeded  by  many  others,  and  the  room  was 
often  filled  with  blinding  light. 

After  the  first  start  and  exclamation,  Hetty 
sank  back  into  her  chair  perfectly  composed. 
She  felt  no  fear,  for  she  knew  that  God  rules  the 
earth  at  all  times,  that  he  holds  the  lightning 
under  his  restraint,  and  that  nothing  can  harm 
one  of  his  children  but  by  his  permission.  Her 
faith  in  God  was  not  in  name  only,  but  it  was  a 
real  and  substantial  feeling  which  took  deep  root 
in  her  soul  and  pervaded  her  whole  being. 

Louder  arid  louder  came  the  thunder,  quicker 
and  more  vivid  the  lightning,  and  the  rain 
splashed  thick  and  heavy  upon  the  windows. 

"  What  a  dreadful  night ! "  said  Hetty  to  her- 
self, throwing  another  stick  upon  the  fire ;  "1 
never  saw  such  sharp  lightning  in  all  my  life." 

Just  then  she  heard  some  one  step  quickly  up 
to  the  door;  then  came  a  timid  knock,  and  be- 
fore she  could  rise  from  her  chair  the  door  was 
pushed  open,  and  somebody,  wrapped  from  head 
to  foot  in  a  large  shawl,  which  was  dripping 
with  rain,  entered. 


HETTY  PORTER.  45 

Hetty  was  a  little  frightened  now ;  it  was 
such  a  strange  looking  person  that  had  so  sud- 
denly intruded  upon  her.  It  might  have  been 
an  old  woman,  for  the  form  was  bent  almost 
double ;  but  she  could  see  nothing  but  a  pair  of 
frightened  eyespeeping  out  from  under  the  shawl. 

"  Can't  I  come  in  here  and  stay  till  it  gets 
through  thundering  ? "  said  a  trembling  voice  in 
a  very  appealing  tone. 

"  O  yes  ;  certainly,  certainly,"  said  Hetty,  re- 
assured ;  "  sit  down  here  by  the  tire,  where  you 
can  get  dry,"  and  she  drew  another  chair  to  the 
hearth. 

The  strange  visitor  complied ;  and  as  the  drip- 
ping shawl  slid  down  from  her  head,  Hetty  saw 
that  it  was  not  an  old  woman,  but  a  child  who  sat 
beside  her.  As  she  saw  this,  every  trace  of  fear 
vanished,  and  curiosity  took  its  place. 

"  Sit  up  closer,  where  you  can  get  dry,"  she 
said,  stirring  up  the  fire.  "  How  came  you  to 
be  caught  out  in  such  a  dreadful  night  ? " 

"I wasn't  caught  out,"  said  the  child  in  a 
low  voice,.  "  but  I  couldn't  stay  there.  I  was  so 
frightened,  and  I  know  there  was  somebody  in 
the  house.  I  could  hear  them  walking  just  as 


46  HETTY   PORTER. 

plain,  and  talking  too,  so  I  just  snatched  up  my 
shawl  and  ran  as  fast  as  I  could,  and  I  could 
hear  them  running  after  me  just  as  plain,  step, 
stepping." 

"  "Who  ?  (),  I  know !  You  were  frightened, 
and  you  thought  so  ;  were  you  all  alone  ? " 

"  Yes,  grandpa  is  gone.  O  how  I  wish  he 
would  come  home !  " 

"  "Well,  it's  too  bad.  I  don't  wonder  you  were 
frightened,"  said  Hetty,  drawing  her  chair  closer 
to  the  trembling  child.  "  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"  Margaret.     Grandpa  calls  me  Mag." 

"  That's  a  pretty  name,  Maggie  especially. 
What's  your  other  name  ? " 

"Margaret  Graham." 

"  Margaret  Graham,"  said  Hetty,  seizing  the 
little  girl's  hands  in  her  eager  welcome,  "  how 
glad  I  am  to  see  you.  Mrs.  Ellis  told  me  all 
about  you,  and  I  did  so  want  to  see  you." 

The  child  looked  surprised,  and  suddenly 
drew  her  hands  from  Hetty  with  a  timid  motion. 
Hetty  was  a  little  hurt  by  this,  and  she  leaned 
back  in  her  chair  and  looked  at  her,  not  know- 
ing what  to  say  more. 

Margaret  was  pale  and  thin  enough  to  answer 


HETTY    PORTER.  47 

the  description  of  any  miser's  child;  but  the 
beauty  that  Hetty's  imagination  had  endowed 
her  with  when  she  heard  Mrs.  Ellis's  story  was 
not  hers ;  still  there  was  something  winning  in 
the  pinched,  eager  expression  of  her  face,  and  in 
the  timid,  large  gray  eyes,  that  Hetty  thought 
were  almost  as  beautiful  as  the  blue  ones  she 
had  given  her.  The  child's  form  was  very  much 
bent,  and  between  her  shoulders  was  a  large 
bunch,  which  gave  her  a  very  strange,  unchild- 
like  appearance. 

"  You  aint  afraid  now,  are  you  ? "  said  Hetty, 
beginning  again. 

"  No,  not  much,"  replied  the  little  girl,  "  but 
I'm  afraid  to  go  back.  I  could  hear  somebody 
rapping  on  the  windows  just  as  plain,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  the  lightning  would  burn  up  the 
house." 

"  Always  when  I'm  afraid  I  pray  to  God," 
said  Hetty. 

"  I  don't  know  how  to  pray,"  said  the  child. 
"  I  never  saw  any  one.  I  guess  it  wouldn't  do 
much  good  if  I  did." 

"  O  yes,  it  would,  Maggie ;  the  Lord  would 
hear  you,  I  know  he  would." 


I 

48     .  HETTY  PORTER. 

"  When  yon  pray  to  him,  don't  he  ever  let 
anything  touch  yon  ? " 

"  No,  never." 

"  Well,  I  wish  I  knew  how,  then  ;  you  get 
down  on  your  knees,  don't  you  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  then  you  ask  God  to  take  care  of 
you,  just  as  you  would  ask  your  grandfather,  or 
any  one  else,  to  do  something  for  you." 

"  Almost  always  when  I  ask  grandpa  to  do 
anything  for  me  he  says  '  no,' "  replied  Margaret. 

"  Well,  then  you  mustn't  ask  God  as  you  ask 
your  grandfather,"  said  Hetty,  correcting  her- 
self; "you  must  expect  he  will  do  what  you  ask 
him." 

"O  dear,  I  don't  know  how?"  she  replied 
despondingly.  Then  she  sat  still  for  a  few  mo- 
ments shivering  in  her  wet  clothes. 

"  You  must  come  up  stairs  with  me,"  said 
Hetty,  "  and  get  on  something  dry ;  you  will 
take  your  death-cold." 

Maggie  was  at  first  determined  to  go  home ; 
but  a  look  out  into  the  darkness  sent  her  trem- 
bling back  to  the  fire,  and  then  she  was  easily 
persuaded  to  stay. 

"  Will  you  learn  me  to  pray,  so  I  wont  never 


HETTY    PORTER.  49 

be  frightened  again  ? "  she  said,  as  Hetty  drew 
the  dripping  shawl  from  her. 

"  O  yes,"  said  Hetty,  eagerly  clasping  her 
hand,  which  this  time  was  not  withdrawn.  "  Let's 
go  right  up  stairs  now ;  and  you  must  get  off 
your  wet  clothes  as  soon  as  possible." 

Hetty  said  a  simple  prayer  that  night,  and 
had  Maggie  repeat  it  after  her.  She  was  taking 
her  first  religious  lesson,  and  it  was  well  she  had 
so  childlike  a  teacher." 

"  Do  you  ever  read  in  the  Bible,  Maggie  ?" 
said  Hetty,  after  she  had  tucked  her  warmly  in 
bed. 

"  No ;  I  found  a  book  that  said  '  Holy  Bible ' 
on  it  once,  on  the  top  of  the  cupboard,  but  there 
wasn't  anything  in  it  I  could  understand." 

"  Don't  your  grandfather  read  in  it  ? " 

"  No,  I  never  saw  him  ;  but  he's  got  a  lot  of 
great  big  books  that  he  does  read  in." 

"  Did  he  show  you  how  to  read  ? "  continued 
Hetty. 

"Yes,  he  showed  me  a  good  while  ago.  I 
can  read  pretty  well  now,  he  says." 

Hetty  ran  down  stairs  with  Maggie's  clothes, 
and  spread  them  out  on  chairs  to  dry.  She  told 


50      ^  HETTY  PORTER. 

Mrs.  Ellis,  who  had  just  come  down,  about  her 
visitor,  and  Ellis's  sympathies  were  aroused  by 
her  story  for  the  poor  frightened  child. 

Then  she  went  back  again  up  stairs,  and  as 
she  bent  over  Maggie  she  saw  that  she  was  sleep- 
ing as  calmly  as  if  those  dreadful  fears  had  never 
tormented  her. 

"I  do  believe  the  Lord  has  heard  her,  the 
very  first  prayer  that  she  ever  made,"  and  Hetty 
bent  down  and  kissed  the  calm  and  peaceful 
face. 


HETTY  PORTER.  51 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  PROJECT. 

ALL  Hetty's  persuasions,  strengthened  as  they 
were  by  an  invitation  from  Mrs.  Ellis,  could  not 
induce  Maggie  to  stay  to  breakfast  the  next 
morning.  Her  fears  had  all  vanished  with 
the  night's  shadows,  and  now  she  seemed  in- 
tensely anxious  to  return  to  her  post  of  duty, 
from  which  the  noises  of  the  previous  night  had 
driven  her. 

"  You  will  pray  now,  wont  you,  Maggie  ? " 
said  Hetty,  as  the  little  girl,  with  her  shawl 
over  her  head,  stood  ready  to  go. 

"  Yes,  I  will  pray  if  it  thunders  again  and  I 
am  frightened." 

"  O  but,  Maggie,  you  ought  to  pray  every 
night  and  morning  if  you  aint  frightened." 

Maggie  made  no  reply.  How  could  she,  who 
had  never  been  taught,  know  that  God  is  a 
friend,  a  precious  Comforter  as  well  as  a 

Protector  ? 

4 


52  HETTY   PORTER. 

"I  like  you,"  she  said  in  her  childish  way, 
turning  back  from  the  door,  "  you're  a  real  good 
girl." 

"  And  I  like  you  ever  so  much,"  replied  Het- 
ty. "  I'm  going  to  teaze  Mrs.  Ellis  to  let  ine 
come  up  and  see  you  some  time." 

"Well,  I  guess  grandpa  wont  care  if  we 
stay  out  doors,"  said  the  child ;  then  she  turned 
and  walked  rapidly  away. 

All  through  the  day  Hetty  thought  of  Maggie 
Graham.  Somehow  it  seemed  as  if  she  was  a 
charge  sent  to  her  by  God.  She  pitied  the 
lonely  child,  and  her  pity  took  a  practical  turn. 
She  determined  to  do  something  to  make  her 
happier.  The  Sunday-school  was  the  goal  toward 
which  all  her  thoughts  tended ;  she  had  been 
brought  up  to  believe  that  from  these  institu- 
tions proceeds  almost  everything  of  good,  and 
it  was  no  wonder  that  her  first  thought  should 
be  to  get  Maggie  to  attend.  At  last  she  became 
so  anxious  to  talk  with' her  on  the  subject  that 
Mrs.  Ellis  was  besieged  with  entreaties,  which 
finally  prevailed,  and  she  put  on  her  hat  and 
started  for  the  old  house  in  the  large  field. 

"  I  don't  wonder  Maggie  gets  lonesome  and 


HETTY   PORTER.  53 

frightened  here,"  she  said  to  herself  as  she 
neared  the  place ;  "  why,  it  looks  as  if  it  was 
made  on  purpose  for  owls  and  ghosts  to  live  in." 

Hetty  was  at  first  undecided  at  which  door 
to  seek  admittance;  but  after  running  her  eye 
over  the  building,  and  seeing  that  one  part  of  it 
looked  a  little  more  substantial  than  the  rest, 
she  went  up  to  the  door  in  this  part  and 
knocked.  One  knock  did  not  give  her  ad- 
mittance, neither  did  three  or  four;  and  feel- 
ing greatly  disappointed,  she  was  turning  to  go, 
when  she  saw  a  pair  of  eyes  peeping  from  the 
window,  and  in  a  moment  more  heard  footsteps 
approaching. 

"  Did  I  frighten  you,  Maggie  ? "  said  Hetty 
as  the  little  girl  opened  the  door. 

"  Yes ;  I  couldn't  think  who  it  could  be,"  said 
Maggie,  taking  hold  of  her  hand  and  drawing 
her  in,  then  carefully  closing  and  bolting  the 
heavy  door  after  her. 

After  the  door  was  closed  the  long  passage 
was  very  dark,  and  but  for  Maggie's  guiding 
hand  Hetty  would  often  have  stumbled  over 
its  uneven  floor.  At  last  Maggie  opened  the 
door  into  a  large  room  which  seemed  almost 


54  II ET-TY   PORTER. 

dazzlingly  light  in  contrast  with  the  dark  pas- 
sage, and  Hetty  looked  curiously  around. 

This  room  bore  the  traces  of  repairs,  and  had 
quite  a  comfortable  appearance.  There  was  a 
fireplace  in  it,  much  larger  than  the  one  in  Dr. 
Manson's  kitchen.  In  one  corner  stood  a  tall 
clock  ticking  loudly,  and  near  that  an  Old-fash- 
ioned heavy  looking  chest  of  drawers,  on  the 
top  of  which  were  piled  a  great  many  large 
leather-covered  books. 

"  When  do  you  expect  your  grandfather 
home,  Maggie  ? "  said  Hetty,  after  scanning  in 
the  moment's  pause,  the  contents  of  the  room. 

"He  will  come  to-morrow,  for  he  said  he 
wouldn't  stay  but  five  days,  and  this  makes 
four.  I've  kept  count  of  them." 

Hetty  soon  introduced  the  subject  of  her  visit, 
and  after  a  great  deal  of  exclamation  and  per- 
suasion Maggie  fell  in  with  the  idea,  and  at 
last  became  almost  as  much  interested  as  Hetty 
herself. 

"If  grandpa  would  only  let  me,"  she  said; 
"  but  I  most  know  he  wont."  Then  she  added 
after  a  pause,  "  if  you  would  ask  him,  perhaps — 
but  I  don't  believe  he  will  let  me  anyhow." 


HETTY    PORTER.  55 

"  I  will  come  up  and  ask  him,"  said  Hetty ;  I 
aint  much  afraid  to  come." 

It  was  almost  dark  before  Hetty  bade  "  good- 
by  "  to  her  new-found  friend,  and  turned  her 
back  upon  the  old  house  with  its  ruins  and  its 
one  room  of  comparative  comfort. 

Watty  was  in  the  kitchen  trying  to  mend  a 
fracture  in  his  ball.  Every  few  moments  the 
needle  would  slip  out  into  his  hand  so  sharply, 
that  if  he  had  been  a  girl'  he  would  surely  have 
cried  out  with  pain. 

"  O,  Het,  I'm  glad  you  have  come !  "  he  said 
as  she  entered.  "  It's  about  as  much  use  to  ask 
Ellis  to  do  anything  for  you  as  it  is  to  ask  a 
porcupine." 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  Of  course  you  can't 
rnend  that  without  a  thimble  ;  let  me  see." 

Hetty  took  her  thimble  out  of  her  pocket, 
and  soon  had  the  ball-cover  stitched  nicely  to- 
gether. 

"  You  are  one  of  the  'cutest  girls  I  ever  saw," 
said  Watty,  by  way  of  showing  his  gratitude  as 
she  handed  him  the  ball. 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  Hetty  meekly. 

"O  you  needn't!    I  will  say  it  again  some 


56  HETTY  PORTER. 

time  when  you  do  some  other  little  chore  for 
me." 

Hetty  made  no  reply ;  and  "Watty,  after  he 
had  gone  through  with  a  part  of  that  old  tune, 
stopped  short  as  his  eye  fell  upon  Hetty's  hat 
on  the  table,  and,  making  her  a  very  low  bow, 
he  said,  "  Have  you  been  out  making  afternoon 
calls?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Hetty,  laughing. 

"Will  your  ladyship  do  me  the  honor  to 
inform  me  where  you  have  been  ? " 

"To  see  Margaret  Graham." 

"  What,  that  old  man's  girl !  I  don't  believe 
that  story,  now;  you  wouldn't  have  been  here 
alive  and  well  if  you  had." 

"Mr.  Graham  wasn't  at  home,"  replied 
Hetty ;  "  but  is  he  such  a  dreadful  man, 
Watty  ? " 

"  I  aint  afraid  of  him,"  said  Watty,  with  a 
scornful  toss  of  his  head,  "  but  a  girl  would  be,  I 
guess.  He  has  got  the  sharpest  eyes  I  ever  saw  ; 
they  are  sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword ;  but 
what  on  earth  started  you  to  go  up  there  ?  " 

With  a  few  questions  Watty  drew  the  whole 
story  from  Hetty,  and  she  dwelt  a  long  while 


HETTY   PORTER.  5t 

upon  the  idea  which  now  had  full  possession  of 
her  mind — getting  Maggie  to  Sunday-school. 
Watty  was  much  interested,  though  he  would 
have  been  loth  to  confess  it. 

"  I  had  to  teaze  her  a  long  time  to  make  her 
say  she  would  go  ;  she  said  she  went  down  to 
the  village  once,  and  there  were  some  boys  that 
made  fun  of  that  queer  bunch  on  her  back,  and 
called  her  names,  and — " 

"  They  ought  to  have  been  thrashed,"  inter- 
rupted Watty. 

"  That's  so ;  she  hasn't  got  any  clothes  that 
look  very  good,  and  she  says  she  knows  her 
grandfather  wont  get  her  any  new  ones.  She 
tried  on  her  best  bonnet  and  her  shawl,  and  she 
did  look  real  queer  with  them  on  ;  the  bonnet 
almost  hides  her  face ;  she  looked  just  exactly 
like  a  little  old  woman  all  bent  over.  I  am  so 
afraid  somebody  will  laugh  at  her ;  if  they  should 
I  know  I  could  never  get  her  to  go  again."  A 
sudden  thought  seemed  to  strike  Hetty  here,  for 
she  turned  to  Watty,  and  said  abruptly,  "  You 
wont  laugh  now,  will  you  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  you  would  be  ashamed  of 
yourself  to  ask  me  snch  a  question,"  said  Watty, 


58  HETTY   PORTE E. 

indignantly.  "  I  wonder,  now,  if  you  think  I'm 
such  a  mean,  sneaking  fellow  as  that." 

"  O  no !  no !  "  said  Hetty,  anxious  to  appease 
his  wounded  dignity,  "  I  didn't  really  think  you 
would ;  but  you  know  you  do  sometimes  make 
fun  of  me." 

"  That's  an  entirely  different  thing ;  but,  be- 
fore I  would  laugh  at  a  little  deformed  child, 
I'd,  I'd—", 

While  Watty  was  trying  to  think  what  he 
would  do  in  such  a  case  Mrs.  Ellis  called  Hetty, 
and  he  was  left  to  finish  his  sentence  to  himself. 


HETTY   PORTER.  59 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  DISAPPOINTMENT. 

HETTY  tried  to  make  herself  believe  that  she 
was  not  at  all  afraid  as  she  walked  again  toward 
the  old  house.  Perhaps  she  was  not;  but  for 
some  cause  or  other  her  heart  beat  a  great  deal 
faster  than  usual,  and  her  hands  trembled  as  she 
put  down  the  bars  close  to  the  house. 

This  was  the  day  she  had  set  to  ask  per- 
mission for  Maggie  to  go  to  Sunday-school ;  and, 
in  accordance  with  the  arrangement,  she  found 
Maggie  was  waiting  outside  for  her. 

"  Is  Mr.  Graham  in  there?"  said  Hetty  in  a 
whisper. 

"  Yes  ;  he  is  sitting  down  by  the  table  read- 
ing. Maybe  you  hadn't  better  go  in.  I  don't 
believe  it  will  do  any  good." 

"O  yes,  I  will,"  said  Hetty  quickly.  "Let 
us  go  right  in  now,  and  not  stand  here  and 
dread  it." 

Maggie  held   out  her   hand,  and   again  led 


60  HETTYPORTER. 

Hetty  through  the  dark  passage.  Every  moment 
Hetty's  heart  beat  faster  and  faster,  and  the  ex- 
citement sent  a  very  uncomfortable  rush  of  blood 
to  her  face. 

Maggie  led  her  up  before  a  table  where  an 
old  man  was  sitting.  Her  first  impulse  was 
to  cover  her  face  with  both  hands  as  he  turned 
his  eyes  upon  her ;  but  with  a  grand  effort 
slje  rallied  up  all  the  courage  she  had  left, 
and  said : 

"  Mr.  Graham,  I  have  come  up  to  ask  you — to 
see — if  you  would  let  Margaret  go  to  Sunday- 
school." 

If  Hetty  had  been  one  of  the  greatest  of  nat- 
ural curiosities,  the  old  man  could  not  have  re- 
garded her  with  more  fixed  attention.  She  knew 
those  dreadful  eyes  Watty  had  spoken  about 
were  upon  her,  though  she  had  not  the  courage 
to  raise  her  own.  At  last  he  pointed  to  the 
door,  and  said  in  a  very  sharp  voice,  "  You  had 
better  go  home.  I  don't  want  anybody  hanging 
around  here." 

Hetty  was  not  long  in  taking  this  advice.  She 
only  stopped  long  enough  to  see  the  tears  start 
in  Maggie's  eyes ;  then  she  hurried  out,  and, 


HETTYPORTER.  61 

stumbling  through  the  dark  passage,  she  found 
herself  outside  at  last;  and,  with  her  disap- 
pointment, and  her  great  indignation  at  being 
treated  so  uncivilly  for  company,  the  road  to 
Dr.  Manson's  seemed  very  short. 

If  there  ever  was  a  time  when  Hetty  wished 
to  be  left  quite  alone,  it  was  that  evening  as  she 
sat  down  to  think  ;  but  she  was  disappointed  in' 
this,  for,  just  as  her  thoughts  had  driven  a  big 
tear  into  each  eye  the  door  opened,  and  Watty 
came  in. 

lie  noticed  the  hurried  wiping  of  her  eyes, 
and  he  came  up  and  peered  with  a  droll  expres- 
sion into  her  face. 

"  Who  has  been  breaking  your  heart  now  ?  " 
he  said ;  "  is  it  smashed  entirely  ? " 

Hetty  made  no  reply  to  this,  but  turned  her 
head  away  with  an  impatient  motion.  Watty, 
like  all  his  sex,  was  a  great  hater  of  tears,  and  not 
knowing  exactly  what  to  say,  he  stood  for  a  mo- 
ment in  silence ;  then  thinking,  perhaps,  if  he 
asked  a  civil  question  he  might  get  an  answer, 
he  said  :  "  Have  you  been  up  to  Mr.  Graham's 
to-day  ? " 

After  a  little  while  Watty  knew  the  whole 


62  HETTY   PORTER. 

story ;    and  at  its  conclusion   he   laughed    as 
he  said : 

"  Well,  I  thought  you  were  making  pretty 
big  calculations  the  other  night.  That  old 
man  is  cross  as  a  bear.  He  ought  to  be  shut 
up  in  a  room,  and  have  nothing  but  tigers 
and  wolves  to  wait  on  him  all  his  life." 


HETTY   PORTE K.  63 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WATTY    A    HELPER. 

THE  next  morning,  as  Hetty  was  standing  before 
the  large  table  washing  the  dishes  that  stood  in 
big  piles  there,  the  outside  kitchen  door  opened, 
and  Watty,  with  a  gun  slung  over  his  shoulder, 
caine  in. 

"  Well,  Het,"  he  said,  (leaning  his  gun  against 
the  wall  and  sitting  down  by  the  table,)  "  I've 
bearded  the  lion  in  his  den,  I've  tamed  the  tiger,  • 
I've  charmed  the  rattlesnake." 

"Relate  your  adventures,"  Sir  Knight,  said 
Hetty,  "  and  you  shall  be  crowned  with — " 

"A  wreath  of  laurel  by  the  lily-white  hands 
of  the  fairest  lady  in  the  land ;  are  they  yours, 
Het  ? "  said  Watty,  interrupting  her,  and  glanc- 
ing down  into  the  soapsuds,  where  Hetty's  hands, 
looking,  if  the  truth  must  be  told,  rather  coarse 
and  red  in  that  position,  were  moving  busily 
among  cups  and  plates. 

Hetty  blushed  a  little  as  her  eyes  followed 


C4  HETTY   POUTER. 

Watty's ;  then,  with  an  impatient  toss  of  her 
head,  she  said,  (adopting  Mrs.  Ellis's  oft-re- 
peated words,)  "I  wish  you  would  go  up  stairs." 

"  "Well,  I  will,"  said  Watty,  jumping  up  and 
going  toward  the  door.  "  I  was  going  to  tell 
you  something,  but  you  will  have  to  whistle  for 
it  now." 

Hetty  did  not  whistle  for  it ;  she  did  not,  even 
by  a  look,  invite  him  to  eome  back ;  but  he, 
though  evidently  regretting  the  necessity  of 
coming  without  an  invitation,  could  not  keep 
the  story  to  himself,  and  sitting  down  again  he 
commenced  without  further  preliminaries. 

"  You  see  some  of  us  boys  went  into  the  woods 
hunting,  and  when  we  were  coming  back  past 
that  old  shanty,  who  should  we  see  but  the  old 
man  himself,  out  trying  to  put  up  the  fence  round 
liis  garden ;  it  was  all  blown  down  flat ;  he  would 
get  up  one  end  of  the  rail  and  go  to  fix  the 
other,  when  down  the  whole  would  tumble.  I 
happened  to  think  of  that  little  girl  of  his,  and 
thinks  I,  '  Now,  sir,  I'll  try  my  hand  on  you  my- 
self, and  see  what  luck  I  have ; '  so  I  told  the 
boys  not  to  wait  for  me,  and  started  off  that  way. 
Well,  he  was  glad  enough  to  get  my  help,  so  he 


Watty's  Tactics. 


II  E  T  T  Y     P  O  R  T  E  R.  67 

didn't  snap  at  me  as  he  would  have  done.  After 
I  had  got  well  to  work  and  showed  him  how 
nicely  I  could  put  the  rails  up,  I  commenced  to 
talk  with  him  about  that  girl,  Maggie,  I  believe 
you  called  her.  I  talked  like  a  lawyer.  I  can't 
begin  to  tell  you  all  I  said,  and  he  had  to  listen, 
for  you  see  I  was  helping  him  all  the  time." 

"  What  did  he  say  ? "  asked  Hetty. 

"I  was  coming  to  that ;  after  all  I  could  say, 
he  wouldn't  v  promise  to  let  her  go  to  Sunday- 
school  ;  but,  just  as  I  had  got  about  the  last  rail  up 
he  said,  '  Mag  told  me  that  girl  that  was  up  here 
yesterday  lives  to  your  house  ; '  and  when  I  said 
'Yes,'  he  said,  '  If  you  want  to,  you  may  tell 
her  that  I  wont  mind  if  she  does  come  up  once 
in  a  while  to  see  that  young  one  of  minej  she 
has  done  nothing  but  cry  and  teaze  ever  since.' 
'  I  don't  see,  for  my  part,'  continued  Watty, '  why 
that  wont  be  as  well  as  to  have  her  go  to  Sim- 
day-school,  and  better  in  some  respects,  for  then 
there  will  be  no  danger  of  her  being  laughed  at. 
Don't  you  think  you  ought  to  thank  me  for 
what  I  have  done  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do  thank  you,"  said  Hetty. 

"  When  a  girl  has  any  trouble,  all  she  can  do 


68  HETTY   PORTER. 

is  to  sit  down  and  cry  over  it ;  no  wonder  she 
grows  up  so  soft ;  but  a  boy  will  make  a  thing 
work  somehow.  Not  that  I  cared  anything 
about  this,  but  I  thought  I  would  be  your  law- 
yer and  practice  a  little,  because  I  expect  to  be 
a  lawyer  some  time.  But  it  was  a  hard  case — a 
hard  case,"  and  Watty  pretended  to  wipe  the 
perspiration  from  his  face. 

"I  don't  believe  I  shall  go,"  said  Hetty 
after  a  pause. 

"And  why  not?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  care  about  going  to  a  place 
where  I  have  been  sent  home  once,"  and  there 
was  quite  an  expression  of  pride  on  Hetty's 
face. 

This  was  a  new  idea  to  Watty ;  probably,  if 
he  had  thought  on  the  subject  at  all,  he  would 
have  said  that  a  girl  who  washed  dishes,  made 
beds,  and  swept,  had  no  right  to  be  particular. 

"  Well,  I  am  sure  I  don't  care  whether  you 
go  or  not ;  but  I  guess,  after  all,  you  don't  care 
so  much  about  that  little  Maggie  as  you  pretend 
to.  I  should  suppose  when  you  think  of  that 
little  lonesome  girl  there  crying — " 

"I  believe  I  will  go  after  all,"  interrupted 


II  E  T  T  Y    P  0  K  T  E  R.  69 

Hetty,  her  pride  beginning  to  thaw  at  the  men- 
tion of  Maggie's  tears. 

Watty  went  up  stairs,  but  soon  came  down 
again  with  a  book  of  colored  engravings. 

"  You  might  take  these  up,"  he  said ;  "  per- 
haps it  would  keep  her  from  being  lonesome 
sometimes." 

Toward  night  Maggie  herself  came  down  ; 
her  grandfather  had  given  her  permission  to 
recall  his  words.  If  Hetty  had  any  pride  left, 
it  quite  vanished  under  Maggie's  pleadings. 
The  little  girl's  eyes  were  very  red,  affirming, 
by  their  appearance,  Watty's  assertion.  Poor 
child,  she  had  had  a  little  taste  of  the  enjoyment 
of  society,  and  the  giving  it  up  had  been  very 
hard  for  her. 

"  We  can  play  Sunday-school,"  said  Maggie ; 
"  can't  you  come  down  every  Sunday  and  have 
one  right  there  in  our  house  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  There  is  a  long  time  Sunday 
afternoons  that  I  have  nothing  to  do ;  but  I  don't 
know  as  it  would  be  exactly  right."  This  Het- 
ty said  to  herself  more  than  to  her  companion. 
But  she  added  after  a  moment's  thought,  "  I 
don't  believe  there  could  be  any  harm  in  it.  I 


70  HETTY    PORTER. 

will  go.  Yes,  Maggie,  can  you  get  a  Sunday- 
school  lesson  ? " 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply,  Hetty  ran  up 
stairs  and  got  her  little  pocket  Testament.  She 
opened  it  at  the  second  chapter  of  Matthew, 
and  said,  "  "We  will  begin  right  here,  Maggie. 
You  can  learn  as  many  verses  as  you  please, 
and  we  will  talk  about  it,  and  I  will  tell  you  all 
I  know  about  it.  Wont  we  have  a  good  time  ? " 

Maggie  readily  assented  to  this ;  then  putting 
the  Testament  in  her  pocket  she  started  for 
home,  for  her  grandfather,  she  said,  had  told 
her  not  to  stay  a  minute. 


HETTY   PORTE E.  71 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

THE     TRANSLATION. 

THE  Sabbath-school,  as  Hetty  and  Maggie  called 
it,  was  a  blessing  to  both  the  teacher  and  scholar 
who  were  its  members — a  blessing  to  Hetty,  for, 
in  trying  to  benefit  and  make  Maggie  happy, 
she  was  humbly  following  the  great  Master's 
example,  whose  entire  life  was  a  mission  of  love 
and  of  doing  good  to  others,  but  more  especi- 
ally was  it  a  blessing  to  the  little  lonely  child. 
Maggie  was  not  an  especially  ignorant  child  on 
all  subjects ;  but  on  the  subject  of  religion  she 
was  very  much  so.  She  had  some  vague  ideas  of 
God  and  heaven  ;  but  of  the  love  of  Christ,  the 
wonderful  story  of  his  life  and  death,  she  knew 
almost  nothing ;  but  as  she  read  the  Testament, 
and  Hetty  explained  it  to  her,  the  light  dawned 
upon  her ;  and  she  who  had  scarcely  known  any- 
thing of  earthly  love  opened  her  heart  readily 
to  this  wondrous  heavenly  love  and  her  lonely 
life  was  made  brighter  and  happier  on  account 


72  HETTY   PORTER. 

of  the  teaching  of  a  little  girl  not  many  years 
older  than  herself.  In  her  childlike  way  she 
took  in  all  the  great  truths  of  the  Bible  without 
a  doubt;  and  who  shall  say  that  God  did  not 
bless  this  simple  faith,  and  that  Maggie  was  not 
a  Christian,  though,  perhaps,  she  could  never 
tell  at  what  precise  time  she  was  adopted  into 
God's  great  family. 

A  room  as  far  as  possible  from  the  only  ten- 
antable  one  of  the  house  in  which  Mr.  Graham 
always  sat  was  chosen  for  the  Sunday-school. 
Hetty  went  up  one  afternoon  and  helped  Mag- 
gie to  brush  down  the  curtains  that  the  spiders 
had  hung  over  the  window  and  around  the 
walls,  and  to  sweep  the  floor,  whose  dust  had 
probably  lain  undisturbed  for  years.  Then  they 
found  a  couple  of  broken  chairs  in  one  of  the 
rooms,  and,  carrying  them  up,  their  apartment 
was  furnished. 

It  was  seldom  that  Hetty  saw  anything  of  Mr. 
Graham ;  and  if  by  chance  she  did  meet  him,  ho 
scarcely  ever  paid  any  attention  to  her  by  word 
or  look,  and  when  he  did  she  would  rather  he 
had  not  done  so,  for  his  very  greeting  had  some- 
thing sour  about  it. 


HETTY   PORTER.  73 

And  so  the  summer  days  glided  away.  Hetty 
had  commenced  already  to  count  the  days  be- 
fore the  fall  term  of  school  at  home  would  com- 
mence ;  but  of  late  there  was  mingled  with  her 
expectations  a  little  fear,  for  her  mother  had  not 
for  a  long  time  written  anything  about  her  com- 
ing, and  she  was  afraid  by  the  tone  of  the  letters 
that  things  were  not  much  better  at  home,  and 
that  her  mother  was  not  much  richer  than  when 
she  left. 

One  afternoon  Ellis  sent  Hetty  up  stairs  on 
an  errand  to  Mrs.  Manson.  These  errands  were 
always  welcome,  for  they  broke  in  upon  her 
monotonous  kitchen  life,  and  gave  her  an  oppor- 
tunity to  see  something  more  agreeable  than  its 
coarse  surroundings. 

Mrs.  Manson  was  engaged  in  the  sitting-room 
giving  her  parting  orders  to  a  young  dress- 
maker, who  was  standing  with  a  large  bundle 
in  her  arms.  She  motioned  Hetty  to  wait,  then 
she  continued  with  her  directions. 

Watty  was  sitting  by  a  table  with  a  large  lex- 
icon before  him.  He  turned  over  leaf  after  leaf, 
and  looked  down  the  long  columns  hurriedly,  and 
a  cloud  on  his  face  that  did  not  at  all  become 


71  HETTY   PORTER. 

him  grew  darker  with  every  column  passed 
over. 

"  Botheration,"  he  said  at  last,  very  emphatic- 
ally pushing  the  book  away  from  him  with  a 
jerk  that  sent  a  number  of  smaller  ones  upon 
the  floor. 

"  Watson,  my  son,  I  am  surprised,"  said  Mrs. 
Manson,  turning  toward  him. 

"  Well,  mother,  I  am  sorry,  but  I  can't 
help  it.  This  Yirgil  lesson  bothers  ine  tremen- 
dously. I  can  read  it  all  pretty  well  but  one 
line,  and  I  might  as  well  try  to  read  Chinese  as 
that.  I  can't  get  the  least  particle  of  sense  out 
of  it," 

"  Be  patient ;  take  time  to  look  out  the  words." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  I  may  as  well  give  up  all 
hope  of  having  any  fun  first  as  last.  The  boys 
are  waiting  for  me  this  very  minute  to  play 
base-ball.  You  see  they  have  chosen  me  umpire 
this  week,  so  I  not  only  spoil  my  own  fun  but 
their's  too."  After  a  moment's  pause  he  took 
up  his  book,  and  going  to  Mrs.  Manson,  said : 

"You  just  look  at  it,  mother;  I  shouldn't 
wonder  it  you  could  read  it  right  off." 

Mrs.  Mansou  took  the  book  and  read  over  the 


HETTYPORTEE.  75 

words  slowly.  In  a  moment  she  handed  it  back, 
saying, 

"  No,  "Watty,  it  has  been  so  long  since  I  have 
read  Latin  I  have  forgotten  all  about  it.  Pile 
up  your  books  now  and  go  to  your  game,  your 
father  will  help  you  this  evening,"  and  Mrs. 
Manson  turned  again  to  the  dressmaker. 

"  Father  never  helps  me ;  he  says  I  must  look 
out  my  lessons  for  myself;  and  Mr.  Sheldon 
will  never  excuse  me,"  said  Watty  as,  sitting 
down  again  by  the  table,  and  resting  his  head 
on  both  hands,  he  looked  hopelessly  upon  the 
open  book. 

"When  Mrs.  Manson  repeated  the  words, 
Hetty  recognized  them  at  once.  She  remem- 
bered spending  a  long  time  looking  out  that 
very  passage  only  a  few  days  before  she  left 
home ;  and,  for  being  sorry  for  "Watty,  and  per- 
haps quite  willing  to  show  him  that  she  knew 
more  than  he  gave  her  credit  for,  she  went  up 
to  the  table  and  said  in  a  low  voice, 

"  I  know  just  how  it  goes,  Watty,  let  me  read 
it  for  you ; "  and  before  he  could  speak  she  drew 
the  book  from  between  his  elbows  and  read  the 
passage. 


76  II  E  T  T  Y    P  0  R  T  E  B. 

If  Hetty,  the  little  servant  girl,  touched,  like 
Cinderella,  with  the  magic  wand  of  some  good 
godmother,  had  stood  before  him,  resplendent  in 
satin  gown  and  glass  slippers,  Watty  Manson 
could  not  have  been  more  surprised.  Hetty 
enjoyed  his  looks  of  astonishment  exceedingly  ; 
but  she  did  not  give  him  a  chance  to  express  it 
in  words,  for  just  then  the  dressmaker  closed  the 
door  behind  her,  and  Hetty  went  up  to  Mrs. 
Manson  and  did  her  errand  ;  then,  with  a  shy 
look  of  triumph  toward  Watty,  she  left  the 
room. 

From  that  day  there  was  a  great  change  in 
Watty's  deportment  toward  Hetty.  He  never 
mentioned  the  subject  of  the  lesson,  for,  truth 
to  tell,  it  was  not  a  very  agreeable  one.  The 
idea  that  a  girl — a  girl,  too,  younger  than  him- 
self, and,  to  cap  the  climax,  a  girl  who  worked 
in  his  mother's  kitchen,  could  read  what  he 
could  not,  was  exceedingly  mortifying.  But 
though  he  never  mentioned  it  in  words,  his 
actions  showed  plainly  that  he  remembered  it. 
Hetty,  by  means  of  those  few  words  in  Virgil, 
had  climbed  up  a  great  many  rounds  on  the  lad- 
der of  his  estimation.  He.  seemed  to  think  that 


IlETTYPORTER.  77 

fate  was  very  cruel  in  obliging  a  girl  who  could 
read  Latin  to  do  kitchen  work,  and  he  showed 
his  sympathy  in  various  ways.  He  dropped  the 
offensive  "  H,et  "  at  once,  and  became  almost  as 
gentlemanly  in  his  mother's  kitchen  as  in  her 
parlor. 

There  are  many  older  than  Watty  Manson 
who  act  by  precisely  the  same  principle.  The 
poor  and  ignorant  are  like  so  many  machines  set 
in  motion  in  the  morning  to  run  through  the 
day.  No  allowance  is  made  for  nerves,  none 
for  a  sensitive  heart  beating  somewhere  among 
the  whir  of  wheels;  therefore,  nothing  like 
politeness  is  necessary  in  the  intercourse  with 
them. 

Hetty  did  not  fail  to  set  down  this  agreeable 
change  to  the  right  cause ;  and  as  she  saw  how 
much  good  that  little  knowledge  had  done  for  her, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  she  should  be  desirous  of  in- 
creasing it.  This  desire  was  perfectly  proper  ; 
but  in  Hetty's  case  it  was  allowed  to  grow  into 
murmurings  against  Providence. 

"  No  one  is  anybody  unless  they  have  an 
education,"  she  said  to  herself  over  and  over 
again,  and  each  time  with  a  more  decided  feel- 


78  HETTY     PORTER. 

ing  that  she  was,  by  somebody  or  something 
very  cruelly  and  unjustly  treated. 

Hetty,  on  the  morning  she  left  home,  had, 
without  her  mother's  knowledge,  smuggled  a 
French  grammar  into  her  trunk.  She  had  said 
to  herself,  "  Perhaps  I  may  get  a  little  time, 
and  if  I  do  it  wont  do  any  harm  to  learn  a  few 
of  those  verbs ; "  but  the  spare  time  had  never 
come ;  she  had  scarcely  opened  the  book  since 
she  had  been  at  Dr.  Manson's.  Now  she  turned 
to  her  French  grammar  with  a  determination 
that,  somehow  or  other,  she  would  find  time  to 
study  it.  She  was  determined  to  grapple  with 
fate,  and  this  seemed  to  be  the  only  way  she 
could  do  so  at  present. 

Hetty  carried  out  her  resolutions  bravely. 
Often  in  the  early  morning,  or  late  at  night,  she 
would  sit  up  in  bed,  with  a  shawl  drawn  over 
her  shoulders,  to  study;  she  repeated  French 
verbs  to  herself,  in  the  midst  of  washing  dishes 
and  scouring  knives,  and  French  verbs  were  for 
a  while  almost  her  meat  and  drink.  Gradually, 
the  time  that  she  had  before  held  as  sacred  was 
intruded  upon,  the  holy  words  of  the  Bible  were 
strangely  mixed  up  with  irregular  conjugations, 


HETTY     PORTER.  79 

and  sometimes  thoughts  of  them  were  in  her 
heart  when  she  was  on  her  knees  pretending  to 
pray. 

Hetty  was  very  miserable  all  this  time.  She 
tried  to  make  herself  believe  that  she  loved  God 
as  much  as  she  ever  did,  but  that  stern  voice  in 
her  soul  told  her  she  did  not.  Her  religious  life 
was  dying  out.  Her  hurried  prayers  could  not 
be  tolerated  by  a  holy  God. 

Perhaps  Mrs.  Ellis  did  not  notice  any  change 
in  Hetty,  for  she  was  still  ready  to  do  all  her 
bidding.  Perhaps  Maggie  did  not,  for  she  still 
read  the  Testament  to  her,  told  her  stories, 
and  taught  her  Sabbath-school  hymns.  Perhaps 
Mrs.  Porter  did  not  mistrust  it,  for  Hetty  was 
very  careful  that  none  of  her  murmurings  should 
creep  into  her  letters ;  but  she  herself  felt  tlie 
change,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  she  became 
unhappy. 

Early  in  the  fall  Mrs.  Porter  wrote  to  Hetty, 
saying  that  "  she  was  very  sorry,"  but  she  found 
her  desire  of  having  Hetty  back  to  school  that 
fall  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  Things  had 
not  gone  as  well  as  she  had  hoped  and  Hetty 
must  be  patient  and  "  wait." 


80  HE TTY   PORTER. 

Hetty  bad  feared  this,  but  the  truth  was  none 
the  less  bitter.  She  received  the  letter  with 
a  passionate  burst  of  tears,  quite  unlike  the 
patient  Hetty  of  other  days. 

Mrs.  Porter  wished  very  much  to  have  Hetty 
come  home  on  a  visit,  but  Mrs.  Ellis  set  her  face 
like  a  flint  against  this ;  so  she  still  stayed  in  Dr. 
Manson's  kitchen,  and  still  she  clung  to  her 
French  grammar. 


HETTY  PORTER.  81 


CHAPTER  IX. 

JAMIE'S    PRAYER. 

"  When  Jesus  calls  me,  I  must  go 
To  meet  him  in  the  promised  land." 

JAMES  PORTER  repeated  these  lines  softly  to 
himself  one  afternoon  sitting  in  the  open  door, 
looking  out  upon  the  trees  and  shrubs,  whose 
summer  green  was  fast  changing  to  the  gold  and 
crimson  of  autumn. 

"  1  should  feel  all  ready  to  go,  mother,  if — if 
I  could  only  see  father  a  Christian  first,"  he 
said,  hesitating  on  the  last  words.  "It  is  only 
just  getting  into  a  chariot  all  waiting  for  you, 
and  going  up,  up,  you  don't  know  where,  but  it 
is  so  beautiful  all  around  you." 

Mrs.  Porter  moved  uneasily  in  her  chair.  She 
did  not  like  to  hear  him  talk  so  familiarly  on 
this  subject,  dreadful  to  her  when  she  thought 
of  it  in  connection  with  her  children.  Jamie's 
words  for  weeks  past  had  often  sent  a  thrill  of 
fear  through  her  heart.  She  would  not  have 


82  HETTY  PORTER. 

confessed  this  fear.  She  tried  not  to  believe 
that  his  words  were  prophetic.  Nevertheless, 
the  belief  and  the  fear  were  there,  very  real, 
and  very  uncomfortable. 

James  did  not  think  of  death  as  something 
far  away,  something  unreal  and  shadowy,  but 
as  a  presence  very  near  to  him.  True,  he 
thought  sometimes  with  pain  of  leaving  his 
mother  and  sister;  but  the  only  object  that 
seemed  really  to  bind  him  to  earth  was  his 
father.  He  had  always  prayed  for  him,  but 
never  before  had  there  seemed  to  be  such  a 
weight  and  agony  of  prayer  laid  upon  him.  He 
was  thinking  of  him  hour  after  hour  in  the  long 
day,  and  sometimes  he  could  not  sleep  for  the 
thoughts  of  the  condemnation  resting  upon  such 
as  his  father  pressing  heavily  upon  his  heart, 
till  he  found  relief  by  sliding  down  from  the  bed 
upon  his  knees,  and  repeating  his  oft-repeated 
prayer  in  his  behalf. 

One  afternoon,  as  the  daylight  was  just  begin- 
ning to  fade  from  the  little  front  room,  James 
was  lying  upon  the  lounge.  He  had  been  sleep- 
ing ;  but  he  opened  his  eyes  just  as  Mr.  Porter 
rose  from  the  table  and  took  his  hat  to  go  out. 


HETTY   PORTER.  83 

Mr.  Porter  glanced  at  his  child  lying  there  so 
still  and  white,  almost  the  picture  of  death.  As 
he  did  so,  James  turned  his  head  and  met  his 
father's  eye,  and  he  saw  at  once  that  he  was  not 
intoxicated,  a  circumstance  that  was  getting 
more  rare  every  day. 

A  sudden  thought  and  desire  seemed  to  strike 
him,  for  he  said  quickly,  "  Don't  go  away, 
father  ;  stay  with  me,  I  am  all  alone.' 

While  Mr.  Porter  had  long  ago  lost  his  love 
and  interest  for  his  wife  and  Hetty,  the  little 
crippled  boy  had  still  a  large  share  in  his  affec- 
tions— larger,  perhaps,  than  he  himself  knew. 
He  was  not  yet  a  totally  depraved  man,  and 
there  were  times  when  the  good  impulses  rose 
strongly  and  strove  for  the  mastery. 

Mr.  Porter  laid  down  his  hat  and  came 
toward  the  lounge.  ""Why,  Jimmie,  how  like  a 
scarecrow  you  look,"  he  said;  "you  aint  sick, 
are  you  ? " 

"  I  guess  not ;  I  don't  feel  any  pain ;  you 
will  stay  with  me  a  little  while,  wont  you  ? " 

"  I  can't ;  I've  got  to  go  down  street.  Where's 
your  mother  ? " 

"  She  has   gone  to  carry   her  work  home. 


84  HETTYPORTEK. 

Can't  you  afford  to  stay  with  me  one  evening, 
father?  I  am  going  to  leave  you  before  long." 

Mr.  Porter  looked  surprised  ;  but  James  con- 
tinued quietly,  "  I  am  going  to  die,  father." 

Mr.  Porter  burst  out  into  a  coarse  laugh,  and 
said,  "  No  such  thing  Jimmie ;  don't  be  a  fool. 
You  are  going  to  be  a  man  yet,  and  like  as  not 
you  wont  always  be  lame  either.  When  I  get 
around  to  it  I  am  going  to  send  you  off  to  that 
man — what's  his  name? — to  be  cured." 

This  was  an  old  promise.  When  Mr.  Porter 
felt  any  stirrings  of  pity  for  his  patient  child,  or 
any  self-condemnation  because  he  did  not  fulfill 
the  father's  duties  to  him,  this  was  the  way 
he  quieted  his  conscience,  "  Jimmie  should  be 
sent  off  to  be  cured." 

James  shook  his  head  with  a  smile,  then 
placed  his  thin  white  hand  in  his  father's. 

"  Dear  father,  Jesus  will  cure  me  before  loncc. 

'  O 

It  don't  make  me  feel  bad  to  thing  of  dying, 
only  I  am  sorry  to  leave  you,  and  mother,  and 
Hetty ;  but  they  are  going  to  heaven  too  when 
they  die ;  and  you,  father,  you  will,  wont  you  ? " 
Mr.  Porter  shook  off  the  light  hand,  rose  im- 
patiently, and  walked  toward  the  door. 


II  E  T  T  Y     P  O  R  T  E  11.  85 

"  I  knew  it  would  be  something  like  that  you 
would  be  saying  to  me !  What's  the  use,  boy  ? 
don't  get  me  mad  at  you.  First,  it's  the  parson  ; 
he  will  get  hold  of  my  shoulder,  and  go  over  a 
long  yarn  of  his  stuff:  then  Squire  Lawton  will 
corner  me  up  somewhere,  and  tell  me  what  a 
mean,  wicked  fellow  I  am  ;  and  now  you  try  to 
soft  soap  it  over.  I  tell  you,  if  that's  what  you 
are  trying  to  get  at  and  are  afraid  to  say  it,  "  I 
must  drink,  I  can't  help  it,  and  there's  no  use 
talking." 

"  I'm  so  sorry,"  said  James  sadly. 

Mr.  Porter  seized  his  hat  and  rushed  out  of 
the  door;  but  his  heart  had  been  touched,  as 
only  James  could  touch  it.  He  reached  the 
gate,  looked  a  moment  down  street,  then  turned 
half  reluctantly  back.  "  What  if  he  should  die 
there  all  alone  ? "  he  said  to  himself;  "she  must 
be  a  curious  woman  to  leave  him  so,  not  a  soul 
around." 

James  did  not  hear  his  father's  step  in  the 
room  ;  he  was  lying  very  still  with  his  hands 
clasped.  Mr.  Porter  went  up  to  the  lounge  and 
caught  a  few  words  of  a  simple  prayer  that  made 

him  verv  uncomfortable.   But  he  was  not  the  one 

6 


86  HETTY   PORTER. 

to  acknowledge  such  feelings,  and  sitting  down 
by  the  lounge,  he  said  in  a  loud  voice  : 

"  See  here,  Jimmie,  I  have  come  back  to  stay 
with  you  till  your  mother  comes." 

James  opened  his  eyes  and  turned  to  his 
father.  "  You  are  real  good,  father.  I  dm  so 
sorry  for  you.  O,  father,  you  don't  know  how 
much  I  pity  you  ! " 

"  Pity  me !  well,  to  be  sure,  I  haven't  heard 
that  word  these  many  years.  But  you  was 
always  a  good  little  boy,  Jimmie,  a  little  soft  and 
chicken-hearted  to  be  sure,  but  a  good  little  boy 
always." 

"  Then  you  will  miss  me  a  little  when  I  am 
gone." 

"  But  you  aint  going  ;  what's  put  that  notion 
into  your  head  ?  " 

"  But  if  I  should  die,  father  ! " 

"  Yes,  of  course,  I  shouldn't  have  any  one  to 
pity  me  then,"  and  Mr.  Porter  tried  to  laugh. 

"  Jesus  pities  you,"  said  James,  speaking  with 
a  courage  that  was  not  natural  to  him,  for  he 
knew  his  father  seldom  listened  quietly  to  talk 
of  this  character. 

But  Mr.  Porter  was  not  angry  now ;  he  "could 


II  E  T  T  Y    P  O  R  T  E  K.  87 

not  be  with  that  whispered  prayer  for  him  still 
in  his  mind.  He  saiJ  nothing,  but  tried  to  look 
stern  and  indifferent. 

"  "Wont  you  let  me  talk  with  you  ? "  continued 
James,  half  fearfully. 

"  Yes,  go  ahead,  if  it  will  do  you  any  good ; 
I  suppose  I  can  listen." 

"  And  you  wont  be  angry  with  me,  I  know. 
O,  father,  I  have  prayed  for  you  so  much,  and 
somehow  it  seems  just  as  if  God  was  going  to 
help  you  stop." 

James  hesitated ;  he  did  not  like  to  say  that 
other  word.  Mr.  Porter  said  it  for  him,  his 
voice  trembling  more  with  feeling  than  with 
anger.  "  Stop  drinking  !  no  use  praying  for  that. 
Don't  pray  for  me  any  more,  Jirnmie.  I  don't 
like  to  have  you." 

"  But,  father,  I  know  you  would  like  to  break 
off  from  this  dreadful  habit." 

"  Like  to  break  off !  "  said  Mr.  Porter,  rising 
and  walking  the  length  of  the  room,  then  look- 
ing almost  fiercely  back.  "  I'd  work  on  my  hands 
and  knees  day  in  and  day  out  if  I  could  get  rid 
of  this—" 

He  did  not  finish  his  sentence,  but  came  back 


88  HETTY   PORTE K. 

and  sat  by  the  lounge.  "You  have  made  a 
sneaking  baby  of  me,"  he  said,  "  but  I  would 
never  have  said  that  to  any  one  else.  You  never 
seemed  to  hate  me  for  what  I  am  ;  "  this  he  said 
more  to  himself,  as  he  leaned  forward  and  looked 
steadily  upon  the  floor. 

"  You  can  break  off,  if  you  would  only  pray 
to  God.     He  will  give  you  strength." 
"  Pray !  what's  the  use  of  praying  ? " 
"  But  the  Lord  would  help  you ;  only  try." 
"  I  tell  you,  I  don't  know  how  to  pray ;  what's 
the  use  of  tormenting  me  ? " 

James  sank  back  upon  the  lounge  and  covered 
his  eyes  with  both  hands.  After  a  moment  he 
commenced  again  in  a  trembling  voice, 

"  Do  you  mind,  father,  one  Sunday,  a  long 
time  ago,  how  you  carried  me  in  your  rrms  to 
Sunday-school  ?  I  can  remember  it  just  as  plain. 
Mother  led  Hetty,  and  it  was  the  first  time 
either  of  us  ever  went.  I  remember  just  how 
bright  the  sun  shone,  and  how  beautiful  every- 
thing looked.  You  used  to  pray  then,  didn't 
you?  or  you  wouldn't  have  taken  so  much 
pains  to  get  us  there.  Don't  you  remember  it, 
father?" 


HETTY  PORTER.  89 

Mr.  Porter  did  remember  it ;  there  was 
scarcely  a  moment  in  his  sober  hours  that 
memories  of  those  days  did  not  haunt  him. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  remember ;  you  was  a  little  bit 
of  a  fellow  then.  It  was  the  first  Sunday  after 
the  new  church  was  finished,  and  I  gave  two 
hundred  dollars  for  that  very  church  ;  but  that 
was  nothing  then,  for  I  expected  before  this 
time  to  be  richer  than  Squire  Lawton  himself. 
Well,  to  be  sure,"  he  added,  with  a  low  laugh 
that  somehow  sounded  very  unnatural,  "  I  was 
a  fool  then,  and  I  am  a  bigger  one  now." 

"  But,  father,  we  might  have  all  those  happy 
days  back  for  us  all.  Wont  you,  now,  O  wont 
you  ask  God  to  help  you?  Wont  you  pray  as 
you  used  to  ? " 

Mr.  Porter  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and 
clasped  his  hands  together  moodily.  Not  only 
did  he  hear  the  voice  of  that  frail  child  pleading 
with  him,  but  he  heard  the  voice  of  conscience 
speaking  louder  than  it  had  spoken  before  for  a 
long  while. 

"  I  tell  you  I  can't  pray ;  it  wouldn't  do  any 
good  if  I  could." 

"Yes,   father,    Jesus   pities   you.      He    was 


90  IIETTYPORTEE. 

in  all  points  tempted  as  we  are,  yet  without 
sin." 

Mr.  Porter  made  no  reply,  and  James  con- 
tinued after  a  pause  :  "  If  you  can't  pray,  father, 
/can.  If  you  would  only  let  me  pray  a  little 
while  now  :  you  wont  mind,  will  you  ? " 

James  waited  a  moment  in  vain  for  a  reply ; 
then  he  slid  from  the  lounge  to  the  floor,  and, 
clasping  his  hands,  commenced  to  plead  for  his 
father  in  a  voice  that  trembled  at  first,  but 
gathered  strength  as  he  proceeded. 

Mr.  Porter  felt  very  uncomfortable.  He 
would  have  been  glad  to  be  out  of  reach  of  that 
voice ;  but  he  could  not  rise ;  he  seemed  as  if 
chained  to  his  seat.  Never  before  had  James 
prayed  with  such  earnestness,  never  before  had 
he  come  so  near  to  God.  Long  did  he  plead  in 
simple,  childish  words ;  but  at  last  his  voice, 
which  had  been  strong  and  clear,  died  out  to  a 
whisper,  his  head  fell  forward  upon  the-  lounge, 
and  he  lay  still,  panting  for  breath ;  he  had 
exerted  himself  so  much  in  prayer  that  the 
strength  was  all  gone  from  the  frail  body. 

Mr.  Porter  started  up  and  lifted  his  child  upon 
the  lounge.  "  He  is  dying !  "  he  said  in  a  voico 


HETTY   PORTER.  91 

of  agony  as  he  looked  at  the  still,  white  face. 
But  James  opened  his  eyes  after  a  moment,  and 
looked  with  a  smile  into  his  father's  face. 

"When  Mrs.  Porter  returned  she  found  her 
husband  kneeling  by  the  lounge  bathing  Jamie's 
temples.  This  was  an  unusual  sight  to  her,  but 
she  made  no  remark,  and  he  in  a  few  moments 
took  his  hat  and  went  out,  while  Mrs.  Porter 
occupied  his  vacant  place. 

Mr.  Porter  did  not  go  to  the  bar-room  that 
night.  He  wandered  around  the  village  an 
unhappy,  conscience-stricken  man,  paying  no 
attention  to  the  greetings  or  jeers  of  his  low 
associates,  whom  he  met  now  and  then  in  the 
street.  At  an  early  hour  he  returned  home, 
and  as  he  lay  down  that  night  his  mind  was  in 
a  strange  state,  between  remorse  for  the  past, 
and  alternate  hope  and  despair  for  the  future  ; 
but  this  thought  was  the  chief  one  in  his  mind  : 
"James  shall  be  sent  off  to  be  cured."  He 
resolved  over  and  over  again  that  he  would 
find  work,  so  that  he  might  be  able  to  effect 
this.  Alas  for  the  resolutions  that  are  made  in 
our  own  strength ! 


92  HETTY   PORTER. 


CHAPTER  X. 

DEATH. 

THERE  came  a  warm,  pleasant  day  among  the 
latest  in  the  fall.  It  was  one  of  those  which 
strike  us  with  an  indefinite  feeling  of  sadness, 
by  its  suggestions  of  death  written  so  plainly  in 
the  glow  and  flash  of  the  foliage  amid  the  decay 
and  death  prevailing  in  the  natural  world.  So 
as  life  merges  into  death  comes  the  brightest 
tints.  Death's  shadow  is  more  glorious  far  than 
Life's  brightest  noonday.  Perhaps  something 
like  these  thoughts  came  to  James  as  he  sat  by 
the  open  window ;  and,  sitting  there,  he  seemed 
himself  but  a  part  of  the  autumn  picture  that 
represented  the  triumph  of  that  which  we  call 
Death  over  Life,  for  the  same  shadow  was  pass- 
ing over  him,  and  his  life  was  glowing  as  bright- 
ly under  it  as  glowed  the  life  of  Nature  around 
him. 

"  It  is  so  beautiful  to-day,  and  I  feel  so  well, 
I  should  like  to  go  out  into  the  village,"  said 


HETTY   PORTER.  93 

James,  turning  from  the  window ;  "  perhaps  it 
will  be  the  last  time — this  summer,"  he  added,  as 
he  noticed  the  look  of  pain  on  his  mother's  face. 

With  some  reluctance  Mrs.  Porter  consented. 
Tying  around  his  neck  the  warm  red  tippet  and 
bringing  him  his  crutches,  she  bade  him  again 
and  again  "  to  be  careful,  don't  go  too  far,  and 
be  sure  and  come  home  early." 

Mrs.  Porter  watched  from  the  door  as  long  as 
she  could  see  the  little  bent  figure,  and  until  the 
last  gleam  of  the  red  tippet  streaming  back  in 
the  wind  disappeared,  then  she  returned  to  her 
little  sewing-chair,  and  if  we  could  have  heard 
the  prayer  that  went  up  from  her  heart  as  she 
sat  still  a  moment  before  taking  up  her  work,  it 
would  doubtless  have  formed  itself  into  these 
words :  "  O  God,  spare  me  my  children  !  " 

A  word  just  here  in  regard  to  the  calls  James 
was  in  the  habit  of  making.  When  he  was  very 
young  he  had  been  converted  to  God,  and  from 
that  hour  there  had  arisen  a  great  desire,  which 
grew  stronger  as  his  religious  life  strengthened, 
to  do  something  for  God.  He  could  not  sit  idly 
by,  although  he  was  weak,  and  almost  helpless. 
Poor  child,  he  did  not  realize  that  he  was  doing 


94:  HETTY  PORTER. 

far  more  in  the  Lord's  vineyard  than  many  to 
whom  strength  and  ability  have  been  given.  He 
went  from  house  to  house  among  his  acquaint- 
ances, and  many  who  would  not  listen  patiently 
to  religious  talk  from  others  could  not  resist 
James's  earnest  childish  pathos.  Pity  for  him, 
probably,  constrained  many  to  listen,  and  to 
welcome  him  to  their  homes ;  but  many  more 
loved  him  as  they  would  love  a  ray  of  glad  sun- 
shine in  a  dark  place.  He  read  his  Testament 
by  the  bedside  of  the  sick,  he  talked  of  heaven 
so  familiarly  that  it  seemed  almost  like  bring- 
ing it  down  to  earth ;  and  sometimes  by  these 
bedsides  he  offered  up  simple,  earnest  prayers 
for  their  occupants.  Doing  this,  James  did  not 
think  that  he  was  overstepping  the  bounds  of 
propriety,  nor  indeed  was  he ;  it  was  not  every 
one,  perhaps,  that  could  have  done  as  he  did ; 
but  James  had  been  called  and  fitted  of  God, 
and  out  of  the  mouth  of  this  child  the  praise  of 
God  was  being  perfected. 

On  the  afternoon  of  which  we  write  he  visited 
a  number  of  his  friends,  and  never  before  had 
he  seemed  so  happy,  never  before  had  he  carried 
Giich  an  atmosphere  of  heaven  with  him. 


IlETTY    PORTER.  95 

"  He's  an  angel,  sure,"  said  old  Mrs.  Caty,  an 
Irish  woman,  "  an'  it  wont  be  long  he'll  be  for 
staying  in  this  cold  world;  the  wings'll  grow 
before  long,  mind  ye." 

Jarnes  was  not  aware  he  had  stayed  late,  till 
the  shadows  of  night  admonished  him ;  then, 
fearful  of  giving  his  mother  uneasiness,  he  hast- 
ened homeward.  He  reached  a  corner,  and  was 
just  turning  it,  when  he  saw  a  sight  that  made 
him  pause.  Coming  down  the  street,  with  his 
arm  linked  in  that  of  one  of  his  low  associates, 
was  Mr.  Porter.  He  was  swaggering  along, 
talking  very  loudly,  and  sometimes  profanely. 
This  was  not  an  unusual  sight,  but  it  was  a  par- 
ticularly unpleasant  one  to  James  just  then. 
Since  the  day  he  had  talked  and  prayed  so  earn- 
estly with  his  father,  he  had  fondly  hoped  that 
a  change  was  coming  over  him.  He  had  shut  his 
eyes  persistently  against  facts,  and  tried  hard  to 
believe  what  he  so  much  wished  to  believe.  Now 
he  was  undeceived;  but  over  all  the  pain  and 
disappointment  rose  the  intense  desire  to  save 
him  yet.  He  knew  well  where  his  father  was 
going,  for  just  down  the  road  was  that  dreadful 
grog-shop. 


9G  HETTY  POKTER. 

He  sprang  forward  as  Mr.  Porter  came  near 
him,  and  placing  a  hand  upon  his  arm,  said 
quickly,  "  O,  father,  don't  you  go  there,  come 
home  with — " 

Mr.  Porter  looked  up  with  surprise  ;  then  a 
flash  of  anger  came  over  his  face.  It  was  quite 
a  different  thing  to  be  moved  and  led  by  James 
when  he  was  alone  with  him,  and  to  be  per- 
suaded in  the  presence  of  his  associates.  He 
was  partially  intoxicated,  and  a  laugh  from  his 
companion  roused  his  cowardly  shame.  Not 
realizing  what  he  was  doing,  he  gave  James  a 
quick  push,  and  saying  angrily,  "  Go  home  1 " 
passed  rapidly  on. 

James  tried  to  balance  himself,  tried  to  catch 
something  to  save  himself  from  falling,  but  in 
vain ;  he  fell  heavily,  his  head  striking  against 
a  stone  step.  A  few  moments  of  consciousness 
of  great  pain,  then  a  numbness  came  over  him, 
and  he  lay  insensible. 

He  was  lifted  up  soon  after  by  a  man  passing 
on  the  street.  He  was  immediately  recognized, 
for  everybody  in  the  village  knew  Jamie  Porter, 
the  crippled  boy,  and  then  they  carried  him 
home  to  his  mother. 


II  E  TT  Y     P  O  R  T  E  R.  97 

Restoratives  were  applied,  a  physician  was 
called,  everything  was  done,  but  for  some  time  it 
was  done  in  vain.  At  last  he  opened  his  eyes 
and  looked  around,  but  it  was  a  strange,  wild 
glance.  "  He  is  out  of  his  head,"  whispered  the 
doctor,  as  James  muttered  something  in  a  low 
voice. 

"  Will  he  live  ? "  said  Mrs.  Porter,  an  hour 
later,  as  the  doctor  took  his  hat  to  go. 

"  I  will  call  again  in  the  morning,"  he  said 
evasively,  turning  from  her. 

a  But,  doctor,  will  he  live  ? " 

"  I  cannot  tell ;  it  was  a  hard  blow,  and  he 
hasn't  much  constitution  to  help  him  rally.  It 
is  a  hard  case,  but  I  will  do  all  I  can." 

Mrs.  Porter  turned  with  a  sickening  feeling  to 
the  lounge.  James  lay  with  his  eyes  half  closed, 
still  muttering  those  incoherent  whisperings. 

"Don't  you  know  me,  Jamie?"  she  said, 
bending  over  him,  and  listening  to  his  words. 

But  no  gleam  of  recognition  came  into  his  eyes 
as  he  looked  up  at  her.  She  caught  the  word 
u  father,"  repeated  many  times,  with  some- 
thing between  that  she  could  not  understand. 

Late  in  the  morning  of  the  next  day,  as  Mrs. 


98  HETTY   PORTER. 

Porter  still  sat  by  the  lounge,  where  she  had 
watched  all  night,  her  husband  entered.  His 
face  wore  the  surly  look  that  it  always  did  after 
a  night  of  debauchery.  Toward  morning  he 
had  come  home  intoxicated,  and  the  neighbors 
who  were  in,  out  of  pity  for  his  wife,  hastened 
him  off  to  bed,  where  he  slept  heavily,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  life  and  death  so  evenly  balanced 
in  the  room  just  below  him. 

There  came  a  few  words  of  a  demand  for 
breakfast,  but  they  were  checked  as  his  eyes 
fell  upon  the  lounge. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ? "  he  said  hurriedly. 

"  He  has  been  hurt  very  badly ;  he  fell  at  the 
corner  and  hit  his  head ;  I  am  afraid  he  will 
die,"  she  said,  her  eyes  filling. 

In  a  moment  the  whole  occurrence  of  the  pre- 
ceding day  flashed  into  the  mind  of  Mr.  Porter. 
Mrs.  Porter  was  prepared  to  see  him  show  some 
feeling,  for  she  knew  that  he  loved  James  as 
much  as  he  was  capable  of  loving  anybody,  but 
she  was  not  prepared  for  the  violent  emotion  he 
did  show.  His  limbs  trembled,  and  his  face 
turned  very  white.  "  I  have  killed  him ! "  he 
said,  sinking  down  into  a  chair. 


II  E  T  T  Y    P  0  R  T  E  K.  99 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Porter, 
shocked  and  surprised  at  his  words. 

He  made  no  reply,  but  sat  still  a  moment 
trembling  all  over,  and  rocking  himself  to  and 
fro  ;  then  he  rose,  and  coming  to  the  lounge, 
sank  down  by  its  side. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  again  asked  Mrs. 
Porter. 

"  I  mean  I  killed  him.  I  pushed  him  down  ; 
wretch,  villain  that  I  am  !  " 

Mrs.  Porter  soon  after  found  out  the  whole 
truth;  but  though  not  understanding  now 
her  husband's  words,  she  dared  ask  no  more 
questions. 

All  that  day  and  night  James  was  delirious, 
and  Mr.  Porter  was  nearly  so.  He  walked  the 
floor  almost  constantly ;  he  would  eat  nothing, 
and  speak  to  nobody  but  the  doctor,  whom  he 
entreated  over  and  over  to  save  James. 

Conscience  was  speaking  to  him  very  loudly 
now,  and  he  could  not  put  by  its  upbraidings  at 
pleasure.  Wicked  and  dissolute  as  he  had  been, 
there  were  none  who  saw  him  through  all  that 
long  day  and  night  that  did  not  pity  him.  James 
continued  to  grow  worse,  so  much  so  that  they 


100  HETTY   PORTER. 

dared  not  remove  him  to  a  bed,  but  made  him 
as  comfortable  as  possible  with  pillows  on  the 
lounge.  Often  he  would  cry  out  for  his  father, 
and  beg  of  him  in  imploring  tones  not  to  go 
away.  "  Father,  stay  with  me." 

But  after  two  days  the  delirium  left  him. 
He  had  just  awakened  from  a  short  sleep,  when 
he  said  in  a  low,  almost  breathless  whisper, 
"  Mother." 

"  Do  you  know  me,  my  son  ? "  said  Mrs.  Por- 
ter, looking  eagerly  into  the  large  blue  eyes, 
from  which  the  wild,  vacant  stare  was  now 
gone. 

Mr.  Porter  heard  his  wife's  words,  and  sprang 
toward  the  lounge.  James  saw  him  in  a  mo- 
ment, and  lifting,  with  a  great  effort,  his  feeble 
hand,  he  placed  it  in  his  father's,  "  Dear  father." 

"  O  Jimmie,  my  boy,  I  have  killed  you  !  "  said 
Mr.  Porter,  sinking  down  and  hiding  his  eyes 
from  James's  deathly  face. 

It  was  evident  now  that  James  was  dying ; 
but  even  as  his  sight  was  growing  dim,  as  every 
sense  was  leaving  him,  he  was  true  to  the  work 
which  had  so  filled  his  heart — leading  his  father 
to  God. 


HETTY    PORTER.  103 

"  Dear  papa,  I  am  dying  ;  wont  you  promise 
me  now  ?  O,  father — "  ' 

Ik 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Mr.  Porter  quickly,  "  I  will 
do  anything ;  but  don't  die,  Jimmie,  don't.  I  will 
promise  anything  you  ask.  I  .will  send  you  off 
to  be  cured.  I  will  do  everything." 

So  with  these  almost  frantic  promises  Mr. 
Porter  strove  to  ward  off  the  angel  of  death. 
James  lay  a  moment  still  and  calm,  while  the 
shadow  that  the  angel  cast  brightened  into  glory 
on  his  face,  then  he  rallied  again  and  said  in  a 
low  whisper,  "  Jesus  will  help  ;  pray,  father  ; " 
then  he  turned  his  glassy  eyes  to  his  mother, 
and  made  an  effort  to  speak;  but  the  words 
died  into  an  inarticulate  whispering.  She  bent 
eagerly  forward,  but  caught  only  the  words 
"  Mother,  Hetty."  A  few  quick  catchings  of  the 
breath,  a  few  short  struggles,  then  all  was  over. 


104  HETTY   PORTE B. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

LIFE    FROM    DEATH. 

"A  LETTER  for  you,  Hetty ! "  said  "Watty,  com- 
ing in  and  tossing  one  upon  the  table. 

Hetty  glanced  up  with  a  look  of  welcome  for 
the  letter,  and  recognized  her  mother's  hand- 
writing. Little  thinking  what  a  weight  of  sor- 
row the  tiny  envelope  contained,  she  continued 
with  her  work,  for  it  made  Mrs.  Ellis  scold  if, 
under  any  pretext,  she  stopped  in  the  midst  of .  * 
it.  But  at  length,  as  Mrs.  Ellis  left  the  kitchen, 
Hetty's  impatience  got  the  better  of  her  faith- 
fulness, and  wiping  her  hands  hurriedly  she 
opened  the  letter.  "  I  must  just  peep  in  and  see  if 
they  are  all  well,"  she  said ;  "  it  has  been  a  long 
time  since  mother  has  written,  and  Mrs.  Ellis 
will  never  know  it." 

But  the  first  line  she  read  made  her  forget  all 
about  Mrs.  Ellis.  Jamie  was  dead !  She  stood 
with  the  letter  crushed  in  her  hand,  hardly 
comprehending  the  terrible  truth ;  but  when,  at 


HETTY  POETER.  105 

last,  its  full  meaning  came  to  her,  she  sanlKiown 
by  the  table,  and  bowing  her  head  on  her  arms, 
great  sobs  shook  her  frame. 

"  What  on  earth  is  the  matter ! "  said  Mrs. 
Ellis,  coming  in,  and  standing  still  in  astonish- 
ment at  the  unusual  sight. 

Hetty  held  out  the  letter  by  way  of  reply,  for 
she  could  not  speak. 

"  "What  is  the  matter !  your  mother  aint  dead, 
is  she?" 

"No,  no;  it's  Jamie,  my  brother,"  she  said 
between  her  sobs. 

"  Well,  that's.too  bad,"  said  Ellis,  moving  to- 
ward her  work ;  "  but  you  just  chirk  up,  Hetty, 
and  finish  washing  the  dishes,  and  then  you  may 
go  up  stairs  and  stay  till  dinner  time." 

Hetty  obeyed;  but  how  wearily  passed  the 
remainder  of  her  work !  She  finished  it  with 
trembling  hands,  and  with  the  hot  tears  running 
down  her  face. 

But  at  last  it  was  done ;  the  dishes  were  all 
piled  away,  and  Hetty  for  a  short  time  was  free. 
She  went  up  stairs  with  a  slow  step,  and  fling- 
ing herself  by  the  side  of  the  bed,  wept  and 
sobbed  herself  into  calmness. 


106  HETTY  PORTER. 

Wfien  she  became  composed  enough  she  read 
the  remainder  of  the  letter.  It  was  just  such  a 
one  as  Mrs.  Porter,  earnest,  prayerful  Christian 
as  she  was,  might  be  expected  to  write  on  such 
an  occasion.  "  Look  to  God,  Hetty,"  she  said, 
"  for  strength  to  bear  this.  Never  think  of 
Jamie  as  dead,  but  as  just  commencing  that 
beautiful  life  of  which  he  talked  so  much." 

But  for  a  moment  Hetty's  heart  rose  in  re- 
bellion. "  Why  is  God  so  cruel  to  us  ? "  she 
exclaimed  passionately ;  then  her  thoughts  went 
backward  to  her  last  parting  with  James,  and 
the  talk  with  him  in  the  arbor.  . 

"If  we  should  either  of  us  die,  wouldn't  we 
meet  again  in  heaven?"  The  question  came 
back  with  mournful  distinctness,  and  asked  again 
for  an  answer.  "  "Would  she  meet  him  again  ? " 
She  had  not  the  least  doubt  that  James  was  in 
in  heaven,  but  would  she  ever  go  there  ?  This 
question  conscience  asked  her,  and  in  that  mo- 
ment she  saw  clearly  what  a  long,  long  distance 
she  had  wandered  from  the  right  way ;  she  felt  a 
sense  of  the  wickedness  of  her  heart- wanderings 
and  murmurings  against  Go4;  she  realized  the 
sin  into  which  her  ambition  had  led  her. 


HETTY  PORTER.  107 

We. cannot  trace  Hetty's  thoughts  further; 
she  pursued  them  with  tears  streaming  down 
her  cheeks  ;  but  at  last  they  became  insupport- 
able, and  she  sank  down  again  upon  her  knees. 
It  was  a  long  while  before  she  grew  calm  enough 
to  pray ;  the  prayer  began  in  sobs,  but  as  it 
ended  she  became  more  composed. 

Before  Hetty  went  down  she  took  her  French 
grammar,  which  was  lying  in  the  window,  and 
opening  her  trunk,  placed  it  at  the  very  bottom. 
"  It  shall  lie  there,"  she  said,  "  till  God  gives 
me  time  and  opportunity  to  study  it."  As  she 
said  and  did  this  a  sweet  peace  came  into  her 
heart.  It  was  a  feeling  that  had  nothing  joy- 
ful about  it ;  the  desolation  and  mourning  that 
Jamie's  death  had  brought  was  still  in  her 
heart,  but  the  sense  of  God's  anger  against  her 
was  taken  away. 

It  was  long  after  dinner  time  before  Hetty 
went  down.  She  had  forgotten  all  about  the 
outside  world  and  its  requirements  ;  and  when 
at  last  they  did  come  to  her  remembrance  and 
she  hastened  down,*she  found  the  work  all  done. 

"  You  ought  toj[iave  d&lled  me,  Ellis,"  she  said 
as  she  looked  round. 


108  HETTY  PORTER. 

Mrs.  Ellis  made  no  reply  to  this  remark,  but 
glanced  up  at  her  curiously. 

"  She  don't  look  so  very  down  about  it  after 
all,"  were  her  mental  words ;  but  Ellis  did  not 
understand  what  a  storm  and  conflict  Hetty 
had  gone  through  to  reach  the  peace  and  calm 
that  was  written  in  her  face. 

Hetty  received  sympathy  in  her  affliction. 
Mrs.  Ellis  showed  hers  in  the  way  we  have 
mentioned,  the  only  tangible  way  with  her. 
Watty  expressed  his  in  a  few  words,  for  he  was 
very  much  afraid  of  being  thought  sentimental ; 
but  Hetty  understood  that  he  was  sorry  for 
her,  and  she  was  satisfied.  Mrs.  Manson  called 
her  up  stairs  and  talked  kindly  with  her;  and 
even  Dr.  Manson  condescended  to  say,  (the  first 
time  he  had  spoken  to  her,) 

"  Remember,  when  you  see  your  friends  fall- 
ing all  around  you,  that  your  time  will  come 
soon." 

By  some  means  Hetty's  letter  had  been 
delayed  a  number  of  days.  Her  mother 
had  written  for  her  to  come  home  to  the 
funeral,  but  that  was  impossible  now.  Hetty 
was  nevertheless  very  desirous  to  go  home. 


HETTY   PORTER.  109 

She  felt  that  it  would  be  such  a  relief  to  see 
her  mother;  but  Mrs.  Ellis  was  opposed  to 
this,  and  Mrs.  Manson  joining  her  objections 
to  her  housekeeper,  Hetty  contented  herself 
with  writing  a  long  letter  to  her  mother 
instead  of  visiting  her. 


110      HETTY  PORTER. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

STRIVING  AFTER  GOOD. 

MORE  than  a  week  had  passed  since  Jamie's 
death,  and  Mr.  Porter  in  all  that  time  had 
scarcely  spoken  to  anybody.  Not  once  had 
Jamie's  name  escaped  from  his  lips,  and  the 
mention  of  it  by  others  seemed  to  give  him  the 
greatest  pain.  Kind  neighbors  supplied  him 
with  work,  which  he  seemed  very  anxious  to 
get,  and  he  worked  faithfully  from  morning  till 
night.  He  spent  his  evenings  at  home,  often 
sitting  moodily  by  the  fire,  perhaps  not  uttering 
a  word  the  whole  evening. 

Still  Mrs.  Porter  sewed  on.  The  shadow  of 
death  had  fallen  heavily  upon  her  heart,  but  it 
was  brightened,  nevertheless,  by  those  rays  of 
light  which  shine  always  for  the  Christian.  She 
clung  now  more  closely  than  ever  to  Hetty,  and 
the  hope  was  every  day  growing  stronger  that 
she  should  soon  be  able  to  have  her  home  again. 
She  watched  her  husband  anxiously,  and  prayed 


HETTY  PORTER.  Ill 

earnestly  that  the  reformation  might  not  be 
transient,  but  become  a  fixed  and  settled 
principle. 

One  evening,  two  weeks  after  Jamie's  death, 
Mrs.  Porter  was  sewing,  with  her  workstand 
drawn  closely  to  the  stove.  Mr.  Porter  had  been 
bending  low  over  the  hearth,  and  as  the  red 
glow  of  the  fire  shone  upon  his  face,  it  showed 
an  expression  of  even  more  than  usual  melan- 
choly. At  last  he  rose,  and  walked  the  floor 
with  a  troubled,  faltering  step. 

Mrs.  Porter  looked  up  and  her  eye  met  his. 
"Are  you  sick  to-night?"  she  ventured  to 
inquire. 

"No,"  he  replied,  sitting  down  again.  "I 
tell  you  what  it  is,  Anna,"  he  said,  (for  the  first 
time  for  years  calling  her  by  her  given  name,) 
"  I  feel  just  like — like  a  murderer." 

As  he  spoke  the  last  word  he  covered  his  face 
with  his  hands.  "  O  don't  talk  so  ! "  said  Mrs. 
Porter,  hurriedly ;  "  George,  you  are  too  cruel 
to  yourself." 

"  I  don't  know  what  makes  me  think  of  Jim- 
mie  so  much  to-night,"  he  said,  taking  down  his 
hands  and  looking  in  the  fire  again.  "  O,  you 


112  HETTY  PORTER. 

needn't  stare  at  me  so,  there  isn't  a  day  but 
what  I  think  of  him ;  but  somehow  it  seems 
just  as  if  he  was  right  here  to-night." 

"  Dear  James !  "  said  Mrs.  Porter  sadly,  "  his 
work  was  all  done ;  he  was  ready  to  go." 

"  Yes  indeed ;  tell  me  something  about  him, 
Anna." 

Mrs.  Porter  hardly  knew  what  to  say ;  but 
she  saw  that  her  husband  now  was  as  eager  to 
hear  that  dear  name  as  he  had  before  appeared 
to  be  to  suppress  it.  She  recalled  many  of 
Jamie's  words  and  acts,  many  of  the  little  mis- 
sions of  love  that  he  had  engaged  in,  and  re- 
peated them.  Mr.  Porter  listened  intently ;  he 
had  been  like  one  dead  to  his  child  while  he 
lived,  but  now  Jamie's  death  was  wakening  into 
life  a  new  interest  and  love  for  him. 

"Do  you  suppose  he  would  have  died  if—- 
if— well  you  know — if  I  hadn't  pushed 
him  ? " 

"  Yes,  George,  I  know  he  would.  The  doctor 
said  he  could  not  have  lived  long,  and  James 
seemed  to  realize  that  death  was  near,  for  he 
talked  about  it  sometimes.  The  only  thing  that 
troubled  him  was  you  ;  but  now  you  are  really 


HETTY  PORTER.  113 

different.     O  how  happy  James  would  be  if  he 
could — " 

"  Anna,  do  you  suppose,"  interrupted  Mr.  Por- 
ter, turning  round  in  his  chair  and  looking  at 
her,  "  do  you  suppose  there  is  any  hope  for  me, 
such  a  wicked  wretch  as  I  am  ?  " 

"  O  yes  ! "  said  Mrs.  Porter,  her  voice  trem- 
bling with  joy  at  such  words  from  him;  "I 
know  there  is,  only  pray.  God  will  forgive  you ; 
he  has  promised  to." 

"  I  haven't  drank  a  drop  since  that  day,"  said 
Mr.  Porter  slowly,  as  if  weighing  every  word. 
"  I  couldn't  now  if  it  was  to  save  my  life.  I 
signed  the  pledge  this  afternoon." 

"  Thank  God !"  burst  forth  from  Mrs.- Porter's 
lips;  "and  wont  you  now,  my  dear  husband, 
wont  you  turn  to  God  and  pray  for  help  ?  wont 
we  have  those  old  happy  days  back  again?" 
and  Mrs.  Porter  rose  and  placed  her  hand  on 
her  husband's  shoulder. 

"  If  I  could !  if  I  only  could !  "  Then  he  shook 
her  hand  off  lightly,  and  rising,  commenced  to 
walk  the  floor  again,  while  Mrs.  Porter  sank 
down  into  his  chair,  and  bowing  her  head,  offered 
up  from  her  heart  an  earnest  prayer  in  his  behalf. 


114  HETTY   PORTE  R. 

A  long  silence  came  between  them,  then  Mr. 
Porter  drew  a  chair  to  the  stove  and  sat  down 
again. 

"We  have  another  child — Hester;  where  is 
she?" 

Mrs.  Porter  was  not  loth  to  speak  of  Hetty  ; 
she  wished  to  interest  her  husband  in  her,  and 
she  succeeded.  She  spoke  of  Hetty's  great  love 
for  her  books,  and  her  quickness  to  learn,  and 
ended  by  saying  how  much  she  wished  to  have 
her  back  again. 

"  She  shall  come,"  said  Mr.  Porter  earnestly. 
"It's  a  shame,  a  mean  shame — write  to  her 
right  off  and  tell  her  to  come  home.  Squire 
Lawton  has  given  me  that  job  of  his  barn,  and 
I  shall  make  good  pay.  There's  a  little  mort- 
gage on  this  place,  to  be  sure,"  he  added,  hesitat- 
ing, "  but  I  shall  soon  pay  that  off." 

Mrs.  Porter  was  surprised  at  the  fact  of  the 
mortgage,  and  at  another  time  it  would  have 
troubled  her  much ;  but  now  she  was  so  happy, 
thinking  of  the  great  change  that  had  come 
over  her  husband,  that  she  only  replied  cheer- 

fully, 

"  And  I  can  help  you,  George,  and  we  shall 


HETTY  PORTE B.  115 

be  so  happy,  and  God  will  bless  us  if  we  only 
look  to  him." 

It  was  getting  very  late.  Mrs.  Porter  waited 
in  vain  for  further  words  from  Mr.  Porter ;  then 
she  rose,  and  drawing  the  stand  toward  him, 
placed  the  large  family  5ible  upon  it. 

"  Shall  we  have  family  prayers  now,  as  we 
used  to  ? "  she  said  softly. 

Mr.  Porter,  with  a  sudden  start,  leaned  back 
in  his  chair,  and  commenced  turning  the 'leaves 
rapidly.  At  last  he  tried  to  read,  but  his  voice 
trembled,  and  the  words  seemed  to  choke  him. 

"  I  can't,  Anna,"  he  said,  pushing  the  book 
toward  her;  "you  read  to-night;  I  will  after 
this,  God  help  me ! " 

Mrs.  Porter's  voice  trembled  too,  but  it  was 
with  joy.  A  song  of  thanksgiving  went  up 
from  her  heart  while  she  was  reading  one  of 
David's  beautiful  psalms,  then  they  knelt ;  and 
once  again,  after  all  his  wanderings,  Mr.  Porter 
came  back  to  the  right  way,  the  way  which  can 
be  entered  only  by  prayer  and  faith  in  God. 

It  was  very  late  that  night  before  the  little 
cottage  was  still ;  but  for  years,  perhaps,  its 
humble  walls  had  not  held  within  them  a 


116  HETTY  PORTER. 

happier  heart  than  Mrs.  Porter's.  Her  husband 
turning  to  God — Hetty  coming  home — it  was 
too  much  joy ! 

The  next  morning,  as  Mr.  Porter  stood  with 
his  hand  on  the  door-knob  ready  to  go  to  his 
work,  he  turned  toward  his  wife  and  said,  after 
a  momentary  hesitation, 

"  You  had  better  write  this  morning ;  tell  her 
to  come  right  off." 

Mrs.  Porter  willingly  consented.  She  hurried 
through  her  work,  then  hastened  up  stairs  to 
comply.  It  was  Hetty's  room,  looking  just  as 
it  did  when  she  left  it ;  there,  in  one  corner,  was 
the  great  chest  that  shut  in  her  treasured  books. 
"  Poor  child,"  said  Mrs.  Porter,  as  she  gathered 
paper,  pen,  and  ink  together,  "  she  has  waited 
patiently  a  long  while,  how  glad  she  will  be  to 
get  this ;  but  what  a  coming  home  it  will  be  not 
to  see  Jamie  !  " 

Mrs.  Porter  wrote  only  a  few  lines ;  it  took 
few  words  to  hold  the  joyful  message.  "  I  will 
just  run  down  to  the  post-office  now,"  she  said 
as  she  sealed  it ;  "  perhaps  it  will  go  out  to-day." 

She  had  just  reached  the  front  door,  when  a 
sight  met  her  eyes  that  made  her  motionless. 


HETTY  PORTER.  117 

Coming  up  the  walk  was  a  crowd  of  men  bear- 
ing among  them  a  burden.  It  was  Mr.  Porter ; 
his  face  was  deadly  pale,  his  eyes  were  rolled  up 
and  fixed. 

Mrs.  Porter  did  not  faint ;  she  was  not  the 
woman  to  lose  her  senses  at  the  time  they  were 
most  needed.  She  rushed  for  the  restoratives, 
which,  on  a  similar  occasion,  she  had  applied  to 
James ;  but  as  she  held  them  out  with  a  trem- 
bling hand  to  the  doctor,  who  had  just  come  in, 
he  shook  his  head.  "No  use,"  he  whispered, 
"  he  is  dying." 

Once  only  Mr.  Porter's  eyes  wandered  from 
their  fixedness,  and  something  like  a  smile 
played  over  his  lips  as  he  saw  his  wife  bending 
over  him.  He  made  an  effort  to  raise  his  hand ; 
Mrs.  Porter  clasped  it  in  hers ;  then  in  a  few 
moments,  without  a  struggle,  with  scarcely  a 
visible  sign,  his  soul  passed  away. 

Mr.  Porter  had  climbed  very  high  to  a  part 
of  his  work.  A  misstep  had  hurled  him  down 
with  such  force  upon  the  heavy  timbers  lying 
around  that  it  broke  a  blood-vessel,  and,  as  we 
have  seen,  he  very  soon  expired. 

The  neighbors  said  that  this  was  a  judgment 


118  HETTY  PORTER. 

against  Mr.  Porter ;  that,  as  he  had  been  the 
cause  of  his  child's  death,  so  had  God  visited  upon 
him  a  similar  death ;  but  let  us  not  judge ;  we 
will  leave  all  with  God  who  judgeth  righteously. 
Just  as  Mrs.  Porter  had  begun  to  taste  was 
her  cup  of  happiness  dashed  from  her  hand!  It 
was  a  sad  trial  to  her.  She  forgot  all  the  long 
years  of  Mr.  Porter's  dissolute  life,  and  thought 
of  him  only  as  the  kind  husband  he  once  had 
been  and  had  just  commenced  to  be  again. 


HETTY  PORTER.  119 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HOME   AGAIN. 

THERE  came  another  letter  to  Hetty  containing 
news  of  death.  She  wept  when  she  read  it,  but 
we  cannot  blame  her  if  it  was  less  bitterly  than 
at  the  news  of  Jamie's  death.  This  time  she 
went  home  to  the  funeral ;  she  was  clasped  in 
her  mother's  arms,  and  then  went  softly,  half 
fearfully,  into  the  room  where  her  father  lay. 
A  shudder  came  over  her  as  she  thought  of 
her  parting  with  him  on  that  well-remembered 
morning ;  the  memory  was  bitter,  and  she  could 
not  look  calmly  upon  the  white,  passionless 
face. 

Hetty  went  to  the  graveyard  where  they  had 
lain  her  father  and  James.  The  cold  winds, 
forerunners  of  winter,  blew  chilly  around  her, 
but  she  heeded  them  not;  she  sat  down  by 
Jamie's  grave  to  think.  "  "Where  is  he  now  ? " 
might  it  not  be  possible  that  he  was  even  that 
moment  looking  down  upon  her?  and  she  looked 


120  HETTY  PORTE E. 

up  at  the  white  clouds  suddenly,  half  thinking 
to  see  that  loved  face,  with  its  sweet  smile,  gaz- 
ing down  through  them.  The  question  of  that 
morning,  remembered  now  with  pleasure  as  she 
thought  of  her  brother,  with  painful  sadness  as 
she  glanced  at  her  father's  grave  near  her,  came 
back  and  required  yet  again  an  answer;  this 
time  the  one  her  heart  gave  was  not  like  that 
given  before.  "  Yes,  she  would  meet  him  in 
heaven ; "  she  felt  an  assurance  that  Jamie's 
Saviour  was  her  Saviour,  then  why  need  she 
fear  or  doubt  ? 

Hetty  thanked  God  earnestly  before  she  left 
the  graveyard,  that,  though  she  had  not  now,  yet 
she  once  had  a  brother  like  James.  She  did  not 
realize  fully,  perhaps,  what  a  blessing  he  had 
been  to  her,  what  an  influence  for  good  his  life 
had  had  over  her ;  yet  she  felt  it  in  a  vague 
way,  and  thanked  God  that  she  had  had  such  a 
brother. 

Hetty  was  not  to  remain  at  home.  Mrs.  Por- 
ter found  that  her  house,  as  her  husband  had  said, 
was  mortgaged,  not  very  heavily  it  is  true,  yet 
enough  so  to  require  a  great  effort  on  her  part 
to  remove  it.  She  could  not  bear  the  idea  of 


HETTY   PORTER.  121 

giving  up  the  home  where  she  had  passed  the 
happiest  and  the  saddest  part  of  her  life ;  be- 
sides, if  she  should,  where  could  she  go  ? 

"  I  will  help  you  all  I  can,  mother,"  said 
Hetty  ;  "  we  must  keep  our  home." 

The  days  passed  rapidly,  and  the  last  one 
came  of  Hetty's  stay.  She  went  up  stairs  in 
the  afternoon  to  spend  a  few  parting  moments 
in  her  room.  She  had  just  lifted  the  cover  of' 
the  chest,  and  was  taking  out  her  books  and 
looking  them  over,  when  her  mother  came 
in. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  Hetty,"  she  said,  seating 
herself  by  the  window. 

"  "What  for  ? "  replied  Hetty,  turning  with  a 
smile. 

"  Why,  that  you  can't  go  on  with  your 
studies ;  that  was  what .  you  were  thinking 
about,  wasn't  it  ?  " 

"  No,  mother ;  I  was  wondering  if  I  could 
sell  my  books — that  would  help  us  some." 

Mrs.  Porter's  looks  showed  her  astonishment 
at  this  idea.  "  Why,  you  haven't  given  up  all 
hopes?"  she  said. 

"  I  don't  know,"  Hetty  replied,  "  going  over 


122  HETTY   PORTER. 

to  her  mother  and  pressing  her  face  close  to  the 
window. 

"  Don't  be  discouraged,  daughter,"  said  Mrs. 
Porter,  while  a  tone  of  sadness  crept  into  her 
own  voice. 

"  No,  mother,  I  am  not,"  said  Hetty,  turn- 
ing quickly ;  "  you  think  I  am  fretting  about 
not  going  to  school,  but  I  was  thinking  what 
James  said  the  last  morning  I  saw  him..  He 
had  been  telling  me  how  much  he  had  wished 
that  he  might  be  cured  ;  '  but  now,'  he  said,  '  I 
am  perfectly  satisfied  as  it  is,  for  God  knows 
best.' " 

"  And  can  you  say  that  now,  Hetty  ?  " 

"  Yes,  mother." 

"  That  is  right,  my  child ;  let  us  both  remem- 
ber that,  in  all  cases,  God  knows  best." 

"  But,  mother,  you  can't  imagine  how  wicked 
I  have  been." 

Hetty  drew  a  stool  to  her  mother's  side,  and 
laying  her  head  in  her  lap,  told  her  the  whole 
story  of  her  heart  wanderings  and  murmurings, 
and  what  had  caused  them ;  she  told  how  wicked 
and  miserable  she  had  felt,  and  how,  at  last,  she 
had  been  roused  by  the  news  of  Jamie's  death. 


HETTY  PORTER.  123 

Before  Mrs.  Porter  and  Hetty  left  the  room 
that  night  they  bowed  in  prayer  there,  and 
rose  from  their  knees  much  strengthened  and 
comforted.  . 

"  If  it  is  God's  will  that  you  should  have  an 
education  he  will  make  an  opening  for  you, 
Hetty,"  said  Mrs.  Porter  as  they  went  down 
stairs  together. 


124  HETTY  PORTER. 


CHAPTEE  XIY. 

THE  VOICE   OF  CONSCIENCE. 

THE  winter  came,  and  its  days  were  passing 
swiftly  away.  Some  of  them  were  rather  lonely 
to  Hetty,  but  generally  they  went  pleasantly,  for 
she  carried  now  a  contented  heart,  which  had 
t&  wonderful  power  of  brightening  the  dark 
places. 

The  "Sunday-school"  still  flourished,  and  as 
the  winter  advanced  it  grew  into  almost  a  day- 
school  as  well.  Maggie's  love  for  society  had 
been  aroused,  and  now  she  seemed  never  quite 
contented  unless  Hetty  was  with  her.  She 
would  watch  for  her  hour  after  hour  at  the  win- 
dow, and  rush  out  to  greet  her  on  her  approach. 
The  little  girl  often  came  down  to  Dr.  Mansou's 
now,  for  somehow  her  grandfather  seemed  to 
grow  less  strict  with  her ;  perhaps  Hetty  had 
awakened  in  his  heart  also  a  little  love  for 
society.  Maggie  would  sit  hour  after  hour  in 
the  large  kitchen  watching  Hetty  at  her  work, 


HETTY  PORTER.  125 

aud    sometimes   joining   her  in    fragments  of 
conversation. 

When  the  weather  became  cold  they  were 
obliged  to  move  their  Sunday-school  into  the 
room  where  Mr.  Graham  stayed.  At  first  he 
seemed  annoyed  at  their  presence,  especially 
when  Hetty  opened  her  Testament  to  read, 
although  she  read  always  in  a  low  voice,  and 
the  two  girls  sat  as  far  away  from  him  as  possible. 
Mr.  Graham  was  almost  always  reading  in  one 
of  the  large  old  books  that  stood  on  the  top  of 
the  chest  of  drawers  ;  but  Hetty,  once  or  twice 
in  looking  up,  caught  his  eye  fixed  upon  her, 
and  she  knew  he  had  been  listening. 

The  Bible  did  not  engage  all  the  time  the 
girls  spent  together,  though  Maggie  seemed  to 
love  that  book  above  all  the  rest.  Watty  fol- 
lowed his  first  loan  of  a  book  with  many  others, 
and  they  spent  happy  hours  in  looking  at  the 
engravings ;  besides,  Hetty  had  a  fund  of  stories 
at  her  command,  and  many  Sabbath-school  songs 
to  draw  from  at  pleasure.  The  two  girls  were 
very  happy  together,  and  God  was  blessing 
Hetty's  weak  endeavor  to  do  good  even  more 
than  she  knew. 


126  HETTY  PORTER. 

One  Sunday  afternoon  Hetty  had  been  hear- 
ing a  few  verses  that  Maggie  had  learned ;  as 
she  finished  she  drew  her  shawl  round  her 
to  go, 

"  Stay  a  little  while  longer,"  pleaded  Maggie ; 
"  read  one  more  chapter,  just  one." 

Hetty  sank  back  in  her  chair  again,  and 
opened  her  Testament.  She  read  along  in  the 
chapter  to  which  she  had  chanced  to  open  till 
she  came  to  these  words,  "  What  shall  it  profit 
a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul  ? "  In  a  moment  she  thought  of  Mr. 
Graham,  and  somehow  she  felt  that  he  was 
listening.  Her  voice  trembled  so  that  she  could 
hardly  read,  and  she  glanced  up  nervously  to- 
ward him ;  she  met  his  eyes  fixed  upon  her, 
and  the  blood  rushed  to  her  face  as  she  looked 
quickly  down  again. 

"  I  guess  you  have  stayed  about  long  enough 
for  to-day,"  spoke  up  the  old  man  sternly,  as  he 
pushed  his  chair  back  and  walked  heavily  to  the 
other  side  of  the  room. 

Hetty,  without  a  word,  rose  quickly  to  go; 
while  Maggie,  putting  her  little  hand  out  to  de- 
tain her,  said,  the  tears  starting  to  her  eyes, 


HETTY  PORTER.  127 

"What  is  it ?  -what  lias  Hetty  done,  grandpa  ? 
you  will  let  her  come  to  see  me,  wont  you?  " 

"  Stop  your  whining  ! "  he  replied  angrily  ; 
"  she  had  better  learn  to  be  civil." 

"  I  didn't  mean  anything,  indeed  I  didn't," 
said  Hetty  quickly. 

Mr.  Graham  only  frowned  a  reply,  and  Hetty 
hurried  out.  Maggie  started  to  follow  her,  but 
her  grandfather  called  her  back. 

"What  made  me  look  up  just  then?  what 
made  me  blush  so  ?  what  made  my  voice  trem- 
ble ? "  were  the  words  that  hurried  themselves 
through  Hetty's  mind  as  she  walked  home. 
This  was  the  second  time  she  had  been  sent  away 
from  that  house,  and  she  felt  like  saying,  as  she 
said  before,  that  she  would  never,  never  go  there 
again.  "  0  how  sorry  I  am  I  read  that  chap- 
ter !  "  she  said  to  herself;  "  what  made  me  turn 
to  that  ?  I  suppose  he  thought  I  did  it  on 
purpose." 

Hetty  did  not  know  that  what  she  called 
an  unlucky  accident  was  but  the  placing  by 
Providence  of  a  weapon  in  her  hand  to  hurl 
against  the  stronghold  of  covetousness  and 
sin  in  which  Mr.  Graham  had  been  inclosed 


128  HETTY   PORTER. 

fur  many  years.  lie  was  not  really  angry 
with  Hetty,  he  was  angry  with  himself  for 
having  "been  caught  listening;  angry  at  the 
book  which  contained  those  words  that  so 
strangely  troubled  him — for  Mr.  Graham  had 
heard  them  before,  knew  they  were  in  the 
Bible,  and  more  than  all  professed  to  disbe- 
lieve the  contents  of  that  book. 


HETTY  PORTER.  129 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  BONFIRE. 

"  "WELL,  for  once  in  my  life,  I'm  going  to  have 
a  little  rest,"  said  Ellis  one  morning  as  she 
came  down  into  the  kitchen,  and  seated  herself, 
duster  in  hand,  with  a  sigh  of  relief  that  fore- 
shadowed the  rest  that  was  to  come. 

"  How  are  you  going  to  get  it,  Ellis  ? "  said 
Hetty,  turning  toward  her. 

"  "Well,  you  see,  Mrs.  Manson  has  got  a  letter 
from  her  brother  out  west,  and  he  wrote  to  have 
her  meet  him  at  a  place  I  don't  know  where,  nor 
I  don't  care ;  but  they  are  going  to  start  next 
Monday,  and  they  are  going  to  stay  three 
weeks." 

""What,  the  doctor,  and  "Watty,  and  all?" 

"  Yes,  the  whole  tribe  of  them." 

"  O  that  will  be  nice ! "  exclaimed  Hetty  ; 
"  then  we  will  only  have  our  own  work  to  do." 

"  Yes,  the  rooms  up  stairs  will  have  to  be 
aired  and  dusted  once  in  a  while;  but  that  is 


130  HETTY  PORTER. 

just  nothing  to  the  everlasting  frizzing,  and 
frying,  and  baking,  and  setting  tables  and  wait- 
ing on  'em." 

Ellis  had  given  a  right  plan  of  the  intentions 
of  the  Man  son  family.  On  the  next  Monday  they 
started  on  a  journey  to  the  western  part  of  the 
state.  Watty  came  down  into  the  kitchen  on 
that  morning  to  give  them  his  "  parting  adieus," 
as  he  said.  Hetty  shook  hands  with  him,  and 
returned  a  few  of  his  almost  numberless  bows, 
but  Ellis  was  very  stiff.  She  kept  in  remem- 
brance the  litters  he  had  made,  the  mud  and 
snow  he  had  tracked  in  on  her  clean  floors,  and 
the  thousand  other  ways  in  which  he  had  an- 
noyed her ;  and  she  would  only  say  in  parting 
that  she  was  glad  he  was.  going,  she  wished  he 
would  stay  forty  years ;  whereupon  Watty  pre- 
tended to  cry,  and  so,  in  the  midst  of  mock 
tears,  he  left  them. 

The  days  that  followed  were  indeed  days  of 
rest  to  Mrs.  Ellis  and  Hetty.  Ellis  made  no 
objections  now  to  having  Hetty  spend  her  time 
mostly  with  Maggie ;  indeed,  she  seemed  after 
the  work  was  once  done  up  in  the  morning  to 
like  to  have  her  away. 


HETTY   PORTER.  131 

The  annoyance  that  Hetty  had  felt  at  being 
sent  home  had  passed  off.  She  could  not  resist 
Maggie's  pleadings,  and,  as  Mr.  Graham  never 
afterward  showed  signs  of  anger  toward  her, 
she  in  time  forgot  the  occurrence  of  that  Sunday. 

As  the  winter  advanced  and  signs  of  spring 
approached,  Mr.  Graham's  health  failed  rapidly. 
Though  he  would  not  acknowledge  he  was  sick, 
yet  many  days  he  kept  the  lounge  from  morn- 
ing till  night.  It  happened,  very  fortunately 
for  him,  that  just  at  that  time  Hetty  could  be 
there  so  much ;  for,  although  Maggie  eagerly 
did  all  she  could,  she  knew  but  little  about 
taking  care  of  the  sick.  It  was  Hetty  that 
made  the  nice  toast  and -tea.  It  was  she  that 
shook  up  his  bed  so  carefully,  and  did  so  quiet- 
ly those  countless  little  things  essential  in  a  sick 
room. 

Mr.  Graham  would  lie  for  hours  with  half 
closed  eyes,  listening  to  the  talk  of  the  two  girls. 
He  never  made  any  objections  to  their  reading 
in  the  Bible,  though  at  times  the  words  seemed 
to  make  him  uneasy. 

"  How  beautiful  heaven  will  be,  Maggie," 
said  Hetty  one  day  as  they  sat  together  by  the 


132  UETTY   PORTER. 

window,  while  Mr.  Graham  lay  upon  the  lounge 
apparently  sleeping,  "  and  how  nice  it  will  be  to 
meet  our  friends  there.  I  think  the  first  one 
that  I  shall  see  will  be  my  brother  Jamie." 

"Are  you  such  a  silly  goose  'as  to  suppose 
there  is  such  a  place  ? "  said  Mr.  Graham,  speak- 
ing up  so  quickly  that  Hetty  turned  with  a 
sudden  start ;  she  had  supposed  him  sleeping. 

It  was  the  first  time  that  he  had  ever  spoken 
to  her  on  such  a  subject;  but  she  answered 
quickly,  the  blood  rushing  to  her  face  in  her 
excitement. 

"  O  yes,  I  know  there  is ! " 

"  Well,  well,  I  don't  know  it ! "  he  replied, 
closing  his  eyes  again. 

He  lay  still  for  a  long  while,  and  Hetty  had 
just  tied  on  her  bonnet  to  go,  when  he  opened 
his  eyes  again  and  beckoned  to  Maggie. 

"  Bring  me  those  books,"  he  said,  raising  him- 
self upon  his  elbow  and  pointing  to  the  chest  of 
drawers. 

Maggie  climbed  up  into  a  chair  and  reached 
them  down,  while  Hetty  brought  them  one  by 
one  and  placed  them  \>y  the  side  of  the  lounge. 

Mr.  Graham  took  up  one  and  turned  over  a 


The    Bonfire. 


HETTY   PORTER.  135 

few  leaves,  then  lie  placed  it  back,  and  with  a 
great  effort  lifting  them  all  with  both  hands,  he 
held  them  toward  Hetty. 

"  Burn  them  up,"  he  said ;  "  throw  them  into 
the  fireplace." 

Hetty  and  Maggie  looked  at  each  other  in 
astonishment ;  was  he  growing  crazy  ?  "  Why, 
grandpa,  burn  up  all  those  books  you  read  in 
so  much ! "  said  Maggie. 

"  Yes,  burn  them  up,"  he  replied  emphatical- 
ly ;  and  as  Hetty  walked  reluctantly  toward  the 
fireplace  he  added,  "  they  are  infidel  books.  I 
have  tried  hard  to  be  one ;  but  it's  hard  now, 
it's  hard." 

Hetty  hesitated  no  longer;  she  threw  the 
heavy  weight  upon  the  blazing  wood.  As  she 
did  so  she  said  impulsively,  "  I  wish  I  had 
every  infidel  book  in  the  world  to  burn  along 
with  them,  what  a  splendid  bonfire  they  would 
make." 

All  three  watched  the  fire  till  the  last  trace 
of  the  books  disappeared ;  then  Mr.  Graham 
sank  back,  wearied  with  the  effort  he  had  made, 
and  with  the  excitement  of  his  feelings. 

"  Wouldn't   you  like  to  have   the   minister 


136  HETTY  PORTER. 

call  ? "  said  Hetty,  half  fearfully,  going  up  to  the 
lounge,  for  she  felt  that  Mr.  Graham  ought  to 
have  encouragement  and  help  in  the  putting 
away  of  evil  from  him. 

But  he  only  shook  his  head  for  a  reply,  and 
Hetty  did  not  dare  say  more. 

Was  it  the  effect  of  the  readings  of  the  Bible, 
of  the  many  texts  that  had  been  repeated  out  of 
it,  of  the  simple  explanations  and  the  comments 
upon  them,  and  the  conversations  relating  to 
them,  that  had  caused  this  bulwark  of  infidel- 
itv  to  totter?  "We  do  not  know,  nor  will 

it 

Hetty  know  until  that  last  day  which  shall  re- 
veal all  things :  but  this  we  do  know,  the  con- 
stant reading  or  hearing  of  the  Bible  cannot 
fail  of  having  an  influence  for  good  ;  and  if  its 
truths  are  received  in  simple  faith  they  must 
become  the  greatest  of  blessings.  Perhaps 
Hetty's  and  Maggie's  conversation,  breathing 
forth  this  childlike  faith,  had  awakened  some- 
thing similar  in  his  heart.  We  cannot  tell ;  we 
know  only  the  deeds  that  sprung  from  his 
feelings. 


HETTY  P  on  TEE.  137 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  PRESENT: 

"WHY,  Ellis,  what  is  the  matter?  you  are 
putting  the  duster  in  the  stove  for  wood." 

Ellis  started  up  at  Hetty's  words,  and  shut 
the  stove-door  quickly.  She  had  just  come 
down  stairs,  looking  nervous  and  half  frightened, 
and  acting  strangely.  Hetty  noticed  this,  and 
inquired  anxiously,  "Are  you  sick,  Ellis  ?  " 

"  You  tend  to  your  business  and  I  will  tend 
to  mine,"  was  the  sour  reply ;  and  thus  rebuffed, 
Hetty  turned  back  to  the  work  in  which  she 
was  engaged  without  saying  more.  She  was 
called  from  it  in  a  moment,  however,  by  Ellis, 
telling  her  to  carry  the  duster  up  stairs  and  put 
it  in  its  place. 

Hetty  did  as  she  was  commanded,  secretly 
wondering  all  the  time  why  it  had  been  brought 
down  stairs  at  all.  She  went  up  into  the  long 
hall  that  had  such  a  lonely,  deserted  look  about 
it  now;  the  door  of  the  parlor  stood  open,  and 


138  HETTY  PORTER. 

she  thought  of  those  beautiful  pictures  on  its 
walls,  and  she  wished  greatly  that  she  might 
just  go  in  and  look  at  them  again  ;  but  she 
knew  that,  without  permission,  she  had  no  right 
to  do  so,  and,  hurrying  away  from  the  tempta- 
tation,  she  soon  stood  at  the  kitchen  door  again. 

All  that  day  Ellis  continued  to  act  strangely. 
She  trembled  at  any  little  noise,  and  seemed 
very  absent-minded.  Hetty  dared  ask  no  ques- 
tions, but  she  watched  the  strange  motions  with 
wonder. 

Toward  night  Hetty  went  up  to  see  Maggie. 
"Perhaps  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  I  can 
come  again,"  she  said  as  she  was  about  leaving 
for  home.  "Dr.  Hanson's  folks  are  coming 
home  to-morrow,  and  then  there  will  be  a  great 
deal  to  do,  you  know.  Ellis  says  we  shall  have 
to  make  up  for  lost  time." 

"  But  you  must  come  every  Sunday," 
pleaded  Maggie. 

"Yes,  we  will  try  to  keep  up  our  Sunday- 
school." 

"  "What  is  that  you  are  saying  ? "  said  Mr. 
Graham,  rousing  himself  from  his  stupor  and 
looking  at  the  girls. 


HETTY  PORTER.  139 

"  Nothing,  grandpa,"  replied  Maggie,  going 
up  to  the  lounge,  "  only  Hetty  says  she  can't 
come  here  so  much,  because  Mr.  Manson's  folks 
are  coming  home ;  but  I  tell  her  she  must  come 
every  Sunday  for  our  Sunday-school." 

"Can't  come  any  more?  Well,"  he  said, 
turning  to  Hetty,  "  you  have  done  a  good  deal 
of  work  here.  I  am  willing  to  pay  you — " 

"  O  no,"  she  said,  interrupting  him.  "  If  I 
have  done  you  any  good  you  are  perfectly  wel- 
come to  it." 

He  lay  still  for  a  moment  without  speaking, 
then  he  pointed  to  Maggie.  "Do  you  want 
her  to  go  to  Sunday-school  with  you  ?  " 

"  O  grandpa !  may  I  ? "  said  Maggie,  joy- 
fully.  ' 

"  Yes,  as  soon  as  it  gets  warm  weather  you 
may  go,  and  you  shall  have  some  new  clothes 
to  wear." 

"  O  how  good,  how  kind  you  are !  "  Hetty 
could  not  refrain  from  saying  in  her  great  joy ; 
but  Mr.  Graham  paid  no  attention  to  her  praise  ; 
he  closed  his  eyes  again,  and  Hetty  went  out, 
followed  by  Maggie. 

The  joy  that  shone  in  Maggie's  face  made  her 


140  HETTY  PORTER. 

almost  beautiful,  notwithstanding  her  sharp 
features  and  the  bunch  on  her  back. 

"  O  how  nice  it  will  be  to  go  to  Sunday- 
school  ! "  she  exclaimed  ;  "  aint  grandpa  real 
good  now  ? " 

Hetty  readily  assented,  kissing  the  bright, 
glowing  face ;  then  she  hastened  home,  for  it 
was  already  growing  dark.  A  new  surprise  met 
her  there.  The  Manson  family  had  returned 
a  day  sooner  than  they  intended,  and  the  house 
was  once  again  all  stir  and  bustle. 

Hetty  was  glad  to  see  them  all.  It  was  a  real 
pleasure  now  to  go  up  stairs  to  lay  and  wait 
upon  the  table,  and  to  hear  again  the  lively  chat 
around  it.  She  appreciated  the  few  kindly 
words  that  Mrs.  Manson  gave  her  in  greeting 
her,  for  it  was  very  seldom  that  the  lady  noticed 
her  by  word  or  look.  She  appreciated  still  more 
the  little  bow  the  doctor  made  her,  for  it  was 
still  more  seldom  that  he  paid  any  attention  to 
her  presence. 

"Watty's  recognition  of  the  little  servant  girl 
was  more  substantial  than  his  father's  and  moth- 
er's had  been.  He  came  down  in  the  evening 
with  a  book  which  he  had  brought  as  a  present 


HETTY  PORTER.  141 

for  her.  He  presented  it  in  that  easy,  careless  way 
peculiar  to  him,  and  Hetty  hardly  knew  how  to 
thank  him  as  she  wished,  he  ignored  so  persist- 
ently all  her  attempts.  The  book  contained  the 
portraits  of  distinguished  women,  many  of  whom 
had  risen  from  obscurity  and  poverty  to  high 
positions  in  the  world,  with  a  short  sketch  of 
the  lives  of  each.  As  Hetty  saw  the  contents 
of  her  book  she  felt  the  delicate  compliment 
that  "Watty  had  given  her  in  choosing  it,  and 
thanked  him  again  in  her  heart. 

When  Hetty  lay  her  head  down  upon  the  pil- 
low that  night,  and  ran  over  the  events  of  the  day 
in  her  mind,  she  felt  that  it  deserved  a  white 
mark  for  its  record.  Maggie  going  to  Sunday- 
school,  Doctor  and  Mrs.  Manson  so  kind,  and 
then  that  beautiful,  beautiful  book;  so,  in  the 
midst  of  pleasant  thoughts,  she  fell  asleep. 


142  HETTY   PORTER. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE     ACCUSATION. 

"  MRS.  HANSON  wants  to  see  you  in  the 
parlor,"  said  Ellis,  coming  down  stairs  the  next 
morning. 

"  Wants  to  see  me !  what  for  ?  "  exclaimed 
Hetty,  with  surprise  in  her  voice. 

"  Go  and  see,"  said  Ellis,  leaving  the  room  as 
she  spoke,  and  shutting  the  door  very  energet- 
ically behind  her. 

Mrs.  Manson  was  standing  by  the  marble 
mantle  with  the  fragments  of  a  beautiful  vase 
in  her  hands. 

"  Can  you  tell  me,"  she  said  sternly  as  Hetty 
entered,  "  how  this  came  broken  ? " 

Hetty  had  an  unfortunate  habit  of  coloring 
at  any  little  excitement  or  unforeseen  occur- 
rence. The  blood  rushed  now  to  her  face,  and 
as  Mrs.  Manson  continued  to  look  closely  and 
sternly  at  her  it  extended  over  her  forehead, 
and  she  felt  her  whole  face  burning  painfully. 


HETTY  PORTER.  143 

"  No,  ma'am,  I  cannot,"  she  answered  at  last, 
looking  Mrs.  Man  son  full  in  the  face. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  say  that,"  said  the 
lady  coldly ;  (l  your  face  speaks  the  truth  better 
than  your  tongue,  I  am  afraid." 

"  But,  Mrs.  Manson,  I  do  not  know  who  broke 
it.  I  have  not  been  in  the  room  since  you  have 
been  gone." 

"  Don't  say  that  again,"  she  said  sternly. 
"  The  vase  was  a  valuable  one,  and  I  am  sorry  to 
lose  it ;  but  I  do  not  care  so  much  about  that  as 
I  do  to  hear  you  tell  such  dreadful  falsehoods." 

"  I  did  not  do  it,"  persisted  Hetty,  hiding  her 
face  in  her  apron,  trying  vainly  to  keep  back 
the  sobs. 

"  It  makes  me  shudder  to  hear  you  repeat 
that.  Don't  you  know  that  God  is  listening  to 
all  this  that  you  are  saying  ?  " 

Hetty  did  not  reply ;  she  could  not  command 
her  voice. 

"  What  would  your  poor  mother  think  to  hear 
this  ?  For  her  sake  I  will  give  you  a  chance  to 
take  it  back.  Go  away  now.  To-morrow  morn- 
ing come  to  me  in  my  room,  and  if  you  do  not 
confess  that  you  broke  the  vase,  then  you  must 


144  HETTY  PORTER. 

go  home.  I  cannot  tolerate  a  girl  that  tells  lies 
in  my  house." 

Hetty  turned  sobbing  away.  She  knew  that 
she  was  innocent,  and  to  be  accused,  to  be  talked 
to  in  this  way,  it  was  horrible. 

She  sank  down  into  a  chair  as  she  entered  the 
kitchen,  and  her  partly  suppressed  grief  burst 
forth  in  great  sobs  that  shook  her  whole  frame. 
"  Don't,  don't,"  said  Ellis  in  a  husky  voice. 
"  It'll  all  pass  over ;  it's  no  killing  matter  after 
all." 

"But  I  didn't  do  it,"  said  Hetty  stoutly; 
"  and  Mrs.  Manson  is  going  to  send  me  away 
unless  I  say  I  did." 

"  O  she  wont !  that's  only  a  scare,"  said  Ellis, 
trying  to  speak  lightly. 

All  the  rest  of  the  day  Ellis  avoided  Hetty  as 
much  as  possible.  She  was  evidently  troubled, 
and  uneasy  about  something.  Hetty  was  too 
much  occupied  with  herself  to  notice  this,  nor 
did  she  stop  to  think  who  broke  the  vase ;  she 
only  knew  she  did  not  do  it. 

It  was  well  for  Hetty  that  Ellis  did  not  call 
upon  her,  for  she  felt  as  if  she  could  not  work. 
She  spent  the  afternoon  in  her  room,  and  a 


HETTY  PORTER.  145 

most  miserable  afternoon  it  was.  A  lie  had 
always  seemed  such  a  wicked  thing  ;  and  now 
to  be  accused  of  telling  one  was  so  humiliating, 
BO  dreadful ;  how  her  mother  would  feel  to  have 
her  come  home  in  this  disgrace ;  but  just  here 
was  a  consolation — her  mother  would  believe 
her  story,  she  would  know  that  she  was  inno- 
cent, but  she  would  go  home  only  to  be  a  bur- 
den. Then  how  meanly  Mrs.  Manson,  and  the 
doctor,  and  Watty  too  would  think  of  her,  and 
Watty  had  given  her  that  beautiful  book ;  but 
she  couldn't  keep  that  now,  she  wouldn't  while 
he  considered  her  a  liar ;  and  there  came  a  fresh 
burst  of  tears  with  the  last  word.  She  took  the 
book  and  went  down  stairs,  hoping  that  he 
would  come  into  the  kitchen  that  she  might 
return  it.  Watty  did  not  come  in,  and  Hetty 
sat  before  the  fireplace  with  her  swollen  and 
aching  eyes  hid  in  her  hands,  while  Ellis  went 
back  and  forth  in  the  kitchen  casting  furtive 
glances  at  the  unhappy  child,  but  never  once 
speaking  a  word. 

In  the  evening  Maggie  came  down,  and  for  once 
Hetty  was  not  glad  to  see  her.  Her  grandfather, 
she  said,  was  better  to-night,  and  he  had  given 


146  HETTY  PORTER. 

her  permission  to  come  down  and  stay  an 
hour. 

Hetty  did  not  wish  to  trouble  Maggie  with 
her  trouble,  so  she  told  her  nothing  of  it ;  and 
evaded,  as  much  as  possible,  the  questionings 
that  her  swollen  eyes  brought  up. 

"  I  have  stayed  'most  an  hour,"  Maggie  said, 
after  they  had  talked  a  while;  "but  can't  you 
read  a  little  before  I  go  ? " 

Hetty  took  out  her  little  pocket  Testament 
and  opened  it;  well,  perhaps,  would  it  have 
been  for  her  if,  in  her  trouble,  she  had  opened 
it  before.  She  turned  with  a  sudden  impulse 
to  the  fifth  chapter  of  Acts.  She  had  often 
read  the  solemn  account  before,  but  never  had 
it  been  so  impressed  upon  her  mind.  Those 
two  successive  deaths  never  had  seemed  so 
real  before.  If  she  had  looked  at  Ellis,  as 
she  explained  the  story  to  Maggie,  she  would 
have  seen  her  wince  and  tremble  under  the 
words. 

When  Hetty  came  in  from  accompanying 
Maggie  part  way  home  Ellis  sat  with  her  head 
bowed  on  the  table.  She  looked  up  immedi- 
ately with  a  half-frightened  expression. 


HETTY  PORTER.  147 

"Do  you  suppose  that  is  true  you  read  to- 
night ? "  she  said. 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Hetty,  looking  at  her, 
a  suspicion  flashing  into  her  mind. 

"  But  God  don't  kill  folks  that  way  now !  " 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  it  shows  how  much  he 
hates  a  lie,  and  how  truly  he  will  punish  it 
some  time." 

Ellis  said  no  more,  but  hid  her  face  again  on 
the  table.  Hetty  thought  of  the  morning  that 
Ellis  had  come  down  looking  so  frightened  and 
acting  so  strangely,  and  with  the  thought  came 
a  strong  belief  that  she  had  broken  the  vase. 
She  tried  to  gather  courage  to  ask  her  about  it, 
but  her  voice  failed  her ;  she  dared  not  do  it. 
Then  she  went  slowly  up  stairs  to  her  own 
room,  but  not  to  rest ;  the  trouble  on  her  heart 
was  too  heavy  to  lose  in  a  quiet  sleep. 

Hetty  packed  her  things  together  the  next 
morning.  She  had  made  up  her  mind  to  go 
without  seeing  Mrs.  Manson  again,  for  she  was 
not  willing  to  confess  what  she  had  not  done  ; 
but  the  lady  sent  a  message  by  Ellis  for  her, 
and  she  obeyed. 

"  If  you  would  only  just  say  you  did — per- 


148  HETTY   POUTER. 

haps — you  know,"  faltered  Ellis,  catching  hold 
of  Hetty  as  she  stood  in  the  door. 

Hetty  pulled  herself  away ;  she  would  not 
listen  to  what  Ellis  was  trying  to  say,  but 
rushed  up  stairs,  anxious  to  have  the  dreadful 
interview  ended. 

Dr.  Manson  was  sitting  in  his  wife's  room. 
When  Hetty  entered  he  put  down  his  paper 
and,  pushing  back  his  spectacles,  looked  solemn- 
ly at  her. 

"  I  hope,"  said  Mrs.  Manson,  leaning  forward 
in  the  large  arm-chair,  "  that  you  have  re- 
pented of  your  sin,  and  are  willing  to  confess  it 
now.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  if  you  do 
so  I  will  pass  it  over  and  say  no  more  about  it." 

Hetty  only  shook  her  head  in  reply. 

"  And  you  still  persist  in  your  falsehoods.  I 
cannot  encourage  such  wickedness  in  my  house 
— you  must  go." 

"  But  I  did  not  break  the  vase,"  faltered  Hetty. 

"  I  have  told  you  not  to  say  that  again,"  said 
Mrs.  Manson  in  a  very  stern  voice.  "Your 
face  yesterday  showed  and  to-day  it  shows  every 
appearance  of  guilt.  You  must  have  done  it, 
for  there  was  no  one  in  the  house  but  you 
*  I 


HETTY   PORTER.  149 

Ellis,  and  she  says  that  you  were  up  stairs  often. 
.Remember,  I  do  not  send  you  away  because  you 
broke  the  vase,  but  because  you  have  told  false- 
hoods about  it." 

Hetty  could  not  speak ;  she  felt  the  sobs  rising 
in  her  throat  as  she  turned  quickly  to  go. 

"  And  all  liars  shall  have  their  part  in  the 
lake  that  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone,"  said 
the  doctor  solemnly,  as  she  reached  the  door. 

Hetty  hurried  out  into  the  hall.  She  met 
Watty  on  the  stairs  as  she  was  going  down. 

"  I  want  to  give  you  back '  that  book,"  she 
said,- hiding  her  red  eyes  from  him  as  he  stop- 
ped his  steps  and  his  whistling  and  looked 
sharply  at  her. 

"Whew!  what's  to  pay  now?  Don't  you 
like  the  book  ? " 

"  O  yes,  it's  beautiful ;  but  I  don't  want  to 
keep  it  when  you  think — everybody  thinks — I 
tell  lies." 

"  I  wouldn't  make  such  a  big  fuss  about  all 
the  vases  in  the  world.  I  don't  believe  you 
broke  it  anyhow,  'pon  my  word  I  don't." 

"Don't  you  now,  truly? "  said  Hetty,  eagerly 
Baking  down  her  hands. 


150  HETTY    PORTER. 

"  No,  I  don't.  I  wouldn't  wonder  if  it  was 
cats,  or  something.  I  saw  a  yellow  cat  around 
here  this  morning,  and  like  as  not  she  was  the 
very  one  that  done  it.  A  witch  in  disguise,  you 
know ;  they  can  crawl  through  key -holes,  or 
cracks,  or  anything,  and  this  cat  did  look  just 
like  a  witch;  she  had  the  queerest  eyes;  did 
you  hear  her  screech  last  night  ?  " 

"  O  you  are  making  fun  of  me,"  said  Hetty, 
the  tears  starting  again ;  "  you  do  believe  1 
broke  it." 

"  No  I  don't,  honor  bright,  black  and  white. 
I  don't  as  true  as  I  live,  Hetty." 

Hetty  did  not  doubt  longer.  "  Thank  you," 
she  said  earnestly  ;  "  I  will  keep  the  book,  then, 
and  thank  you  again  for  it.  I  am  going  home 
now ;  good-by." 

"I'll  just  talk  with  mother  about  this.  I 
think  it's  real  mean  to  send  you  off  so." 

"  O  no !  don't  say  a  word.  I  wouldn't  have  you 
for  anything.  I  couldn't  stay  now  anyways." 

"  Well,  good-by,  then,"  he  said,  starting  along, 
and  commencing  the  tune  that  meeting  her  had 
interrupted ;  but  he  turned  again  and  called 
out,  "  I  am  going  to  Uncle  Law  ton's  befor 


HETTY   POETEK.  151 

long,  and   perhaps   I  will   run    over    and   see 
you." 

Hetty  only  bowed  in  reply,  and  hastened  on. 
There  was  one  who  believed  her  innocent,  and 
the  knowledge  of  this  made  a  very  wide  streak 
of  light  in  the  dark  cloud  that  was  over  her. 

Ellis  was  sitting  crouched  over  the  fireplace. 
Hetty  went  up  to  the  hearth,  and,  looking  into 
the  fire,  repeated  softly  to  herself  the  words  that 
just  then  came  to  her  mind,  the  words  that  Dr. 
Manson  had  flung  at  her :  "  All  liars  shall  have 
their  part  in  the  lake  that  burneth  with  fire  and 
brimstone." 

Ellis  rose  from  her  chair  trembling  all  over, 
and  seized  Hetty's  hand. 

"  I  say  it's  too  bad  ;  you  shant  go,  I  say  you 
shant — "  she  stopped  suddenly,  and  sank  down 
in  her  chair  again. 

The  conviction  had  been  growing  stronger 
in  Hetty's  mind  that  Ellis  was  the  guilty  one. 
"  How  mean  it  is,"  she  thought,  as  she  stood 
looking  at  her,  "  to  lay  it  t>n  me."  She  was  try- 
ing to  gather  courage  to  ask  her  a  direct  ques- 
tion concerning  it,  when  Watty  burst  in  at  the 
kitchen  door. 


152  HETTY  PORTER. 

"  I  say  it's  smart,"  he  said,  "  to  make  you 
walk  down  to  the  depot  just  like  some  old — 
well,  I  don't  know  what;  but  I  am  just  going  to 
harness  up  the  pony  and  take  you  down,  so 
when  you  are  ready  let  me  know." 

"  O  no.  I  can  walk  just  as  well  as  not.  I 
wouldn't  have  you  do  it  for  anything;  your 
mother  wouldn't  like  it." 

"  I  guess  the  pony  is  mine.  Uncle  Lawton 
gave  it  to  me,  and  I'll  risk  its  hurting  the  car- 
riage. If  I'm  a  mind  to  take  a  ride  this  morn- 
ing and  go  down  past  the  depot,  I  wonder  if  its 
anybody's  business." 

Hetty  had  just  begun  to  expostulate  further, 
when  she  was  saved  the  trouble  by  the  sound 
of  a  little,  weak  step,  which  she  knew  to  be 
Maggie's,  at  the  door,  and  she  hastened  to  open 
it,  with  a  feeling  of  thankfulness  that  she  was 
going  to  see  her  once  more  before  she  left. 

"  Grandpa  wants  you  should  come  up,  Het- 
ty. He  is  sicker  to-day — can't  you  come  ?  Do 
come,  Hetty,"  said  Maggie  in  a  quick,  excited 
way  the  moment  she  entered. 

Hetty  hardly  knew  what  to  do ;  she  wanted 
to  go  with  Maggie  very  much,  but  if  she 


HETTY   PORTER.  153 

did  she  would  miss  the  cars.  A  little  more 
pleading  from  the  little  girl,  and  a  suggestion 
by  Watty  that  she  could  just  as  well  go  home 
to-morrow  as  to-day  decided  her,  and  she  hast- 
ened up  stairs  after  her  bonnet  and  shawl,  and 
in  a  few  moments  was  walking  rapidly  with 

Maggie  to  the  old  house  in  the  field. 
10 


154  HETTY   PORTER. 


CHAPTEK  XVIII. 

DEATH  OF  MR.  GRAHAM. 

MR.  GRAHAM  was  lying  in  a  stupor  when  the 
girls  entered.  "  I  think  he  is  very  sick."  said 
Hetty,  bending  over  the  lounge.  "  Why  didn't 
you  tell  me  he  was  so  bad  ?  and  I  would  have 
hurried  more." 

"  He  wasn't  so  when  I  went  away,"  said 
Maggie  breathlessly;  "he  was  talking  all  the 
time.  What  shall  we  do? " 

"  Can  you  run  for  some  boy,  for  the  doctor  ? 
No,  you  stay  and  I  will.  I  can  go  faster." 

But  just  then  Mr.  Graham  looked  up  with 
a  glance  of  recognition. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you  ? "  said  Hetty,  bow- 
ing at  the  head  of  the  lounge. 

He  made  no  reply,  but  kept  his  eyes  fixed 
upon  her.  Hetty  was  alarmed  at  the  strange 
expression  on  his  face,  and  rising  up  softly  she 
hurried  away  for  assistance. 

Mr.  Graham's  disease  had   rather  suddenly 


HETTY  PORTER.  155 

developed  alarming  symptoms.  The  doctor 
gave  no  hope  of  his  recovery.  "  I  ought  to 
have  been  called  before,"  he  said ;  "  I  am  afraid 
it's  too  late  now." 

Mr.  Graham  recovered  his  consciousness,  and 
became  able  to  speak  in  whispers ;  but  he  failed 
every  day,  and  all  knew  that  the  end  was  near. 
Maggie  was  so  frightened  that  she  was  incapable 
of  doing  anything.  She  would  sit  for  hours  to- 
gether by  the  bedside  gazing  into  her  grand- 
father's pallid  face,  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 
Stern  though  he  had  been  to  her,  yet  the  ties  of 
nature  were  strong  in  her  young  heart,  and 
she  loved  him  dearly.  Hetty  now  took  charge 
of  all  the  work ;  she  watched  and  waited  upon 
the  sick  man  unceasingly.  With  her  the  doctor 
left  his  orders,  and  she  was  faithful  in  seeing 
them  obeyed.  She  gave  up  all  thoughts  of 
going  home  at  present.  She  could  not  leave 
Maggie  clinging  so  helplessly  to  her,  and  the 
old  man  needing  to  have  so  many  things  done 
that  she  could  do. 

In  health,  Mr.  Graham  had  repelled  almost 
everybody  from  him  ;  but  now,  as  the  news 
spread  abroad  that  he  was  sick,  many  called  in 


150  HETTY   PORTER. 

to  see  him.  The  minister  came;  but,  though 
Mr.  Graham  listened  earnestly  to  all  that  he 
said,  yet  he  would  not  converse  with  him.  The 
only  thing  that  showed  he  had  any  interest  in 
religion  was  his  insisting  upon  having  the 
"Sabbath-school"  daily.  Hetty's  voice  often 
failed  as  she  read  the  chapters  and  felt  his  eyes 
fixed  upon  her.  She  knew  she  was  reading 
God's  word  to  one  just  on  the  verge  of  eternity, 
and  she  prayed  earnestly  for  direction  to  choose 
appropriate  passages. 

A  few  days  after  Hetty  came  to  Mr.  Gra- 
ham's, Mrs.  Manson  called  with  some  little 
delicacy  for  the  sick  man.  She  spoke  kindly  to 
Maggie,  then  turned  and  beckoned  Hetty  with 
her  to  the  window. 

"  I  am  sorry,  my  child,"  she  said,  taking 
Hetty's  hand  as  she  stood  before  her,  "  I  am 
sorry  I  accused  you  so  wrongfully.  I  have 
found  out  all  about  that  vase ;  it  was  Ellis  her- 
self that  broke  it." 

"  O  I  am  so  glad !  "  exclaimed  Hetty  joyful- 
ly ;  "  so  glad  that  you  don't  think  I  told  that  lie. 
I  thought  it  was  Ellis  all  the  time,  she  acted 
so  strangely.  I  was  almost  certain  it  was." 


HETTY  PORTER.  157 

"  Then   why    did    you   not   tell    me   your 

suspicions  ? " 

"  O,  I  didn't  want  to  accuse  her  unless  I  knew 
without  the  least  doubt ;  besides — " 

"  Well,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Manson,  coloring  a 
little  at  the  implied  rebuke,  though  Hetty  did 
not  intend  it  as  such,  "I  never  saw  any  one 
suffer  so  much  as  she  has  about  it.  Her  con- 
science troubled  her  so  that  she  could  not  rest, 
and  she  came  to  me  and  confessed  it  all.  It 
seems  she  went  up  to  dust  the  parlor  the  same 
day  we  returned,  and  in  removing  the  vase  it 
slipped  from  her  hand ;  and  she  was  so  afraid 
of  being  blamed  that  she  threw  suspicion 
upon  you,  instead  of  frankly  confessing  it  as 
she  ought.  If  she  had  done  so  I  should  have 
treated  it  as  an  unfortunate  accident,  and  said 
nothing  about  it." 

"  But  you  will  forgive  her  now  ? "  said  Hetty 
thoughtfully. 

"I  have  done  so.  She  has  been  punished 
enough  already ;  but  what  I  wanted  to  say  to 
you  is  this,  you  must  come  back  again.  I  take 
back,  of  course,  all  those  things  I  said  to  you, 
I  am  sorry  for  them." 


158  H'ETTY    POKTEK. 

"But  I  cannot  leave  Maggie  now,"  said  Hetty, 
glancing  toward  the  bed. 

"  No,  of  course  not.  You  are  doing  nicely 
here,  Hetty,  nicely.  Your  pay  shall  go  on  all 
the  same,  for  I  am  glad  to  see  you  so  kind  to 
the  sick;  but  I  think  you  will  be  released  from 
here  before  long,"  and  Mrs.  Manson's  eyes  fol- 
lowed Hetty's  and  rested  upon  the  sick  man's 
face.  He  cannot  live  long,"  she  added  in  a 
whisper ;  "  then  you  must  come  back." 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  Hetty  sadly,  and  Mrs. 
Manson  turned  away. 

A  great  weight  was  lifted  from  Hetty's  heart ; 
but  there  was  only  time  for  little  under-currents 
of  joy,  for  her  thoughts  were  engaged  upon  the 
sick  man.  He  gre\y  worse  rapidly,  and  needed 
much  care. 

But  there  came  one  day  when  his  failing  ener- 
gies seemed  to  rally.  He  talked  considerably 
with  neighbors  who  came  in  and  requested  to 
have  a  lawyer  called,  and  spent  some  time 
with  him  in  putting  finishing  touches  to  his 
will. 

He  seemed  so  bright  that  Maggie  was  almost 
crazy  with  joy,  and  Hetty  said  to  the  doctor 


HETTY  PORTER.  159 

wlien  he  came  in,  "  He  is  a  great  deal  better ; 
he  will  get  well." 

But  the  doctor  did  not  share  in  this  hope. 
He  shook  his  head,  and  said  solemnly,  "It  is 
only  the  last  flickering  of  the  lamp.  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  should  die  to-morrow." 

The  words  sank  sadly  into  Hetty's  heart. 
"Was  he  reconciled  to  God?  O  how  could 
they  let  him  die  so  ? " 

She  went  up  to  the  bedside  when  at  last  the 
three  were  left  alone,  feeling  as  if  she  must  say 
something. 

"  If  you  would  only  let  me  call  the  minister," 
she  faltered  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  "  if  you 
would  only  let  him  pray — " 

*•  "What  a  strange  child  you  are ! "  said  Mr.  Gra- 
ham, interrupting  her,  not  angrily,  but  in  a  kind 
voice ;  "  I  tell  you  I  would  be  ashamed  to  ask 
God  to  forgive  me  now  after  I  have  been  so 
wicked  all  my  days ;  but  if  you  think  it  would 
do  any  good  to  pray,  you  may  pray.  I  had  a 
great  deal  rather  hear  you  than  the  minister." 

The  blood  rushed  into  Hetty's/face,  she  felt 
as  if  she  could  not  do  that ;  but  then  a  thought 
of  her  sainted  brother,  how  often  he  had  done 


160  IlETTY    PORTEK. 

this  very  thing,  and  a  thought  of  that  old  man 
so  near,  so  very  near  death,  decided  her,  and 
she  sank  upon  her  knees.  At  first  her  voice 
did  not  rise  above  a  whisper ;  but  gradually,  as 
she  forgot  herself,  it  became  strong  and  earnest. 
Maggie  knelt  sobbing  beside  her,  with  her  little 
hand  in  hers. 

When  Hetty  rose  she  met  Mr.  Graham's  eyes 
fixed  upon  her.  "  You  are  a  good  child,"  he  said 
kindly,  "  but  it's  too  late  for  me  now,"  and  the 
look  of  pain  that  Hetty  had  noticed  before 
crossed  his  face. 

"  But  Jesus  died  for  all.  He  would  forgive 
you  now.  I  know  he  would  if  you  would  only 
pray." 

"  I  haven't  prayed  since  I  was  a  little  child. 
I  don't  know  how." 

"  Can't  you  just  say,  *  for  Jesus's  sake.' " 

"  For  Jesus's  sake,"  he  repeated  in  a  low 
voice.  It  was  a  solemn  sight.  An  old  man — 
old  in  sin  as  well  as  years — being  taught  by  the 
lips  of  a  child  those  blessed  words.  He  repeated 
them  yet  again,  then  closed  his  eyes  wearily. 
For  a  moment  he  lay  quite  still ;  but  he  started 
up  suddenly,  and  drawing  Maggie  to  him  kissed 


HETTY  PORTER.  161 

her  tearful  face,  then  sinking  back  upon  the 
pillows,  he  lay  apparently  unconscious  for  a 
long  time. 

Hetty  turned  away  from  the  bed  unsatisfied. 
How  could  she  be  otherwise  ?  O,  these  death- 
bed repentances  are  not  the  things  to  offer  up 
to  God.  How  can  we  rob  him  of  everything 
that  belongs  to  him  day  after  day,  year  after 
year,  trusting  to  the  few  last  moments  of  life  to 
make  it  all  right.  It  is  too  dangerous.  God 
will  not  be  mocked. 

The  next  day,  as  the  doctor  had  prophesied, 
Mr.  Graham  died.  He  had  been  lying  in  a 
stupor  for  a  long  while ;  suddenly  he  roused  him- 
self, and  made  a  quick  motion  to  those  who  sur- 
rounded his  bedside,  then  fell  back  panting  and 
gasping  for  breath.  Maggie  rushed  to  him  and 
threw  her  arms  in  fright  round  his  neck,  but  in 
a  moment  it  was  only  breathless,  lifeless  clay 
that  she  embraced. 


162  HETTY   PORTER. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CONCLUSION. 

THE  house  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity  at 
the  funeral.  Through  all  the  services  Maggie's 
quick  convulsive  sobbing  could  be  heard  as  she  sat 
close  to  the  coffin,  the  only  relative  and  mourner. 

It  was  pitiful  to  see  the  little  orphan's  grief. 
No  one  could  comfort  her  in  any  degree  but 
Hetty,  and  to  her  she  clung  as  if  she  were  her 
only  friend  on*earth. 

The  day  after  the  funeral  the  will  was  opened, 
for  all  were  anxious  to  know  what  to  do  with 
Maggie.  Mr.  Graham  had  not  left  as  much 
property  as  many  supposed  he  would  leave ;  but 
enough  was  left  to  amply  provide  for  Maggie 
all  her  lifetime.  The  last  clause  of  the  will 
was  one  that  surprised  many,  and  Hetty  Porter 
most  of  all.  It  was  a  clause  making  over  a 
handsome  present  to  her ;  not  a  large  one,  to 
be  sure,  but  enough — the  thought  came  to  her 
immediately — to  pay  off  the  mortgage. 


HETTY  PORTER.  163 

As  we  have  said,  Hetty  was  very  much  sur- 
prised at  Mr.  Graham's  remembering  her  in  his 
will,  she  had  never  thought  of  such  a  thing ;  but 
others  said  it  was  no  more  than  right,  though 
it  was  strange  that  the  old  man  should  have 
thought  of  it. 

"  What  a  comfort  she  has  been  to  that  little 
child  of  his,"  they  said,  "  and  what  a  help  to 
him  too  in  all  his  sickness."  All  were  glad  for 
the  child  whom  they  had  seen  so  patiently  and 
busily  at  work  when  they  had  called  at  Mr. 
Graham's. 

Hetty  determined  to  go  immediately  home  and 
commence  her  studies  again.  Now  had  God  pro- 
vided the  way,  and  so  made  known  his  will  con- 
cerning her,  and  her  will  and  desires  coincided 
exactly. 

After  the  funeral  Maggie  went  home  with  the 
guardian  who  had  been  appointed  for  her.  and 
the  old  house  was  shut  up  and  all  allowed  to  go 
to  ruin  together. 

Hetty  walked  down  that  afternoon  with 
Watty,  who  came  up  to  accompany  her  to  his 
home,  her  home  no  longer,  for  to-morrow  the 
cars  would  bear  her  far  from  it 


164:  HETTY   PORTER. 

How  different  was  the  greeting  that 
Doctor  and  Mrs.  Manson  gave  her  from  the 
parting  words  she  had  received  but  a  short 
time  since.  Both  seemed  to  try  to  make  all 
possible  amends  for  their  unkind  words  and 
suspicions.  Hetty  did  not  take  her  accustomed 
place  in  the  kitchen,  but  gathered  with  them 
round  the  table  upon  which  she  had  so  often 
waited.  In  the  evening  she  sat  with  them 
under  the  big  chandelier  in  the  library,  and  a 
most  happy  evening  it  was.  Doctor  Manson 
and  his  wife  talked  very  kindly  to  her;  they 
commended  her  for  her  determination  to  get 
an  education,  and  encouraged  her  to  proceed. 
And  Watty  ?  yes,  he  had  much  to  say  also,  and 
somehow  his  hearty  words  had  more  of  interest 
in  them  for  her,  for  she  did  not  forget — never 
would  forget,  she  said — that  while  others 
believed  her  guilty,  his  faith  had  remained 
unshaken. 

In  the  morning  Hetty  went  down  stairs.  She 
had  rather  dreaded  to  meet  Ellis,  and  as  she 
first  entered  the  kitchen  she  seemed  hardly  to 
know  what  to  say ;  but  one  of  her  quick  im- 
pulses came  over  her  as  she  noticed  how  sad 


HETTY  PORTER.  165 

Ellis  looked,  and  she  went  up  to  her  and  flung 
her  arms  round  her  neck. 

Ellis  could  not  resist  this  unexpected  greet- 
ing, and  the  tears  almost  choked  her  as  she  said, 
"  It  was  mean,  any  how." 

"  Don't  say  a  word  about  it,"  said  Hetty 
quickly.  "  I  forgive  you,  and  God  will  too  if 
you  will  pray  to  him." 

"  I  do  pray,"  said  Ellis,  bending  down  and 
speaking  in  a  low  whisper,  "  I've  been  awful 
wicked.  Do  you  suppose  there  is  any  help  for 
me?" 

"  O  yes,  yes !  I  know  there  is.  O,  I'm  so 
glad,  Ellis,  for  you  will  be  so  happy  if  you  are 
a  Christian.  Don't  give  up,  but  keep  praying. 
I  shall  pray  for  you  too  every  night  and 
morning." 

Hetty  went  up  stairs  to  get  her  trunk  in 
readiness,  while  Ellis  followed  on  to  help,  telling 
her  all  the  time  in  a  broken  voice  how  miser- 
able that  lie  had  made  her,  and  how  wicked, 
how  dreadful  wicked  she  had  been,  and  how  she 
was  trying  to  find  forgiveness. 

At  last  the  trunk  was  all  ready.  Hetty  turned 
to  give  a  last  look  at  the  little  room — one  last 


166  HETTY  PORTER. 

look  out  at  the  window  by  which  she  had  so 
often  sat — sometimes  in  joy,  sometimes  in  sor  • 
row.  The  tears  started  to  her  eyes  as  she  noted 
the  old  house  in  the  field,  and  thought  of  all 
that  had  passed  within  it.  Then  she  turned, 
and  flinging  her  arms  again  around  Ellis's  neck, 
she  whispered,  "  God  will  help  you,  I  know 
he  will ;  keep  praying,  dear  Ellis,  and  I  shall 
remember  you  always,  and  always  pray  for 
you." 

Watty  drove  Hetty  down  to  the  depot.  She 
made  no  objections  now,  for  she  knew  his 
mother  would  have  none.  Mrs.  Man  son  stood  on 
the  piazza,  and  spoke  kindly  "  good-byes,"  while 
Doctor  Manson  made  a  stately  bow  from  the 
hall.  Hetty  looked  back  suddenly  at  the 
moment  of  starting,  and  saw  Ellis  standing  in 
the  kitchen  door  with  her  apron  to  her  eyes. 
With  a  last  bow  to  her,  and  a  last  glance  at  the 
pleasant  house,  she  was  borne  away. 

We  cannot  follow  Hetty  step  by  step  any  fur- 
ther. She  worked  her  way  through  the  pre- 
paratory course,  and  finally  graduated.  She 
spent  a  few  years  as  teacher  in  a  ladies'  semi- 
nary. Afterward,  as  the  wife  of  a  minister,  she 


HETTY   PORTER.  167 

spent  many  happy  years,  useful  in  her  day  and 
generation.  She  found  always  that  God  knows 
best,  and  that  he  would  guide  and  lead  her  if 
she  put  her  trust  in  him,  even  as  she  had  found 
in  childhood. 

Before  we  leave  "Watty  we  must  say  this  much 
further  of  him.  He  passed  through  boyhood 
without  an  experimental  knowledge  of  religion; 
but  a  revival  occurred  at  the  college  in  which 
he  graduated  soon  after  he  entered  it,  and  he 
was  one  of  the  first  to  be  awakened.  His  chosen 
profession  was  the  law ;  but  after  many  strug- 
gles, it  is  true,  he  gave  that  up,  for  he  heard  the 
voice  of  God  telling  him  to  preach  his  gospel, 
and  he  dare  not  refuse  the  call. 

Maggie  died  early;  but  she  had  lived  near 
her  Saviour,  and  her  death  was  very,  very  happy. 


THE  END. 


001  361  444 


